York | Archive | 2001 | May | 18
From the Evening Press, first published Friday 18th May 2001.
Hundreds of workers at Scarborough coachbuilders Plaxtons could keep their jobs after a deal was clinched in York.
But York employees fear they could still be axed if a last-in, first-out policy is adopted.
Union bosses and the factory's management yesterday struck a bargain that guarantees the plant's future for now.
But night workers have been told unofficially the company is looking for 300 workers to take voluntary redundancy.
The majority of the 100 workers from York joined the firm over a period of two years after being made redundant from ABB in York.
Night worker Nick Horsman, a 47-year-old Plaxtons vehicle builder, of Moorland Road, Fulford, who was made redundant from ABB in 1993, said: "We were told unofficially last night that there would be about 300 people to go and they're hoping to put an enhanced redundancy package on the table so they could get volunteers. I don't personally think they'll get 300 volunteers.
"We're not really taking much comfort in York. We don't know yet, if it comes to compulsory redundancy if it's going to be `last in first out'. If that's the case, we've only been there seven years, some even less."
The original announcement that the firm was to close rocked Scarborough.
Shedding the 650 local jobs and the 100 workers from York would have left the town with an unemployment rate of about one in twenty.
After yesterday's meeting, factory and union chiefs explained that the plant will stop building buses and instead become a "centre of excellence" for coach building.
A union source said that concentrating on coach building would save about a third of the plant's jobs but up to 500 workers would still be left facing the dole queue.
After negotiations yesterday afternoon, National Secretary of the Automotive Industry, Tony Woodley, said the important thing was that the plant would stay open.
He said: "I am delighted to be able to announce that talks with the company have been fruitful and the Plaxtons plant will stay open for the production of vehicles.
"There are still detailed negotiations to go on. But the good news is that the future of the plant, people's jobs and vehicle manufacturing in Scarborough will continue."
There had been no financial intervention from the government, Mr Woodley said.
A spokesman for Plaxtons said: "We've always been very aware of the impact this would have on the local economy. In the last two weeks we've been very impressed by the commitment of the unions locally and nationally. We're very hopeful that we can sort out details of a reduced manufacturing capability in Scarborough. The mini-buses and bus side will be transferred to other facilities."
He said he could not comment on how the redundancies would be made as this was still being discussed with the unions and they would meet again next week.
Updated: 10:52 Friday, May 18, 2001
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