2:10 pm, February 20, 2009
UNION boss Tony Woodley has warned that a giant UK car factory could be just days from closure.
The Unite joint leader made the shock revelation today, as he waned of the importance of state aid.
‘We’re got a car plant that, within just a couple of days, would have run out of cash and needs serious financial help to stop over 6000 people losing their jobs,’ the BBC reported he said.
But he refused to name the car firm in question.
The comments have inevitably roused huge interest in the media.
Woodley says the Government has to act fast, to avoid what he described as a catastrophe.
Which plant is he talking about, though? Well, 6000 workers is a lot. Nissan employs around 2500 in Sunderland for example, while Vauxhall has similar numbers working at the Ellesmere Port plant.
Larger factories include MINI Oxford, Honda’s Swindon factory and the Toyota plant in Burnaston, all of which employ around 4000 people.
The most employee-intensive factory is Land Rover’s Solihull facility.
Woodley’s comments are sure to cause concern in the industry, and it will make for an interesting weekend of negotiations as he is grilled to reveal more…
