(Thu 28 Jan 10)

The number of shifts in operation at Nissan's Sunderland factory - recently confirmed as being the most productive in the UK for the 12th year running - has been fluctuating gently over the last couple of years. It rose from two to three in June 2008, but was brought back to two just seven months later as a result of the credit crunch.

Now, however, Nissan has announced that it will revert to three, at least on the line which produces the Qashqai. The Qashqai is set to be Nissan's most popular model in Europe for the 2009 financial year (which ends on March 31), with sales around the 200,000 mark, and on the assumption that demand will continue at a similar rate in the first half of the 2010 financial year, a night shift is being re-introduced in May to cope with it.

Next month, Nissan will be recruiting for 400 fixed-term manufacturing posts at Sunderland, and intends to retain 160 temporary staff who are already working there. It is being emphasised that the third shift is temporary, and its duration will be dictated by the market, but Nissan expects that it should continue for about six months.

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