Jaguar Land Rover: Unions declare war on plans to close factory
UNIONS today declared war on Jaguar Land Rover’s plans to close a Midlands factory and reduce workers’ pay and conditions.
Unite and GMB leaders condemned the proposals by JLR to shut either Solihull or Castle Bromwich in the face of the car industry’s worst sales climate for more than 40 years.
As JLR chief executive David Smith pledged that staff numbers would not be hit, unions accused the Tata-owned company of breaching trust over the new cutbacks, including changes to pensions and lower salaries for new workers.
The angry outbursts from Unite car industry official Dave Osborne and GMB leader Bert Hill came less than a year after thousands of workers had agreed a pay freeze and a four-day week to help the company fight the downturn.
Mr Osborne said: “Earlier this year, this company and our union agreed a framework agreement intended to support JLR through this tough economic period.
“Our members said then that JLR could not be trusted to uphold that agreement. Today, that has proved to be true.
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