Last ditch jobs plan for GKN is rejected

Last ditch efforts to save a doomed West Midland vehicle components factory from closure have failed after bosses rejected a new business plan.

It has today emerged that a total of 23 jobs have been axed at GKN Driveline, in Middlemore Lane. The losses are part of a phased closure of the plant despite union efforts to block the move. The company revealed earlier this year its plans to close production by next summer as it had struggled to cope with the global economic downturn.

Union leaders had hoped to head off redundancies by drafting a business plan to drum up orders.

Although the plan was presented to GKN it was not put into action.

Unite official Lindy Whiston said: "Clearly we wanted to save the jobs. And we were very disappointed this didn't happen. The factory is going to close. We have gone through the consultation process which was prolonged by efforts to try and save the jobs.

"When it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen then we negotiated a severance package and after a ballot the majority of employees accepted the package."

She said a second wave of redundancies was due to be made in October of this year while some of the posts were due to be transferred to GKN's Erdington plant.

GKN spokesman Paul Dinwiddy confirmed 23 workers had being made redundant.

He said the company took the proposed business plan in consideration before deciding to press ahead with closure of the site. Around 250 staff remain at Aldridge.

The company earlier announced that a total of 323 jobs would be lost with the closures of its factories in Aldridge and Great Barr.

It said it will consolidate work into a single "centre of excellence" at Erdington, where the company already employs 500 people.