WATCH: This is devastating, we all feel betrayed: Wolverhampton's Goodyear staff disgusted at closure decision

Some have said they only heard about the definite closure while watching the TV news.

Under a phased plan the plant, in Bushbury Lane, will shut completely by January 2017. The move comes after a consultation period with workers and union officials. The first batch of redundancies at the mixing and re-treading base are likely to be made on New Year's Eve.

Re-treading worker Mark Lewis, 53, of Idonia Road, Perton, has worked at the site for 37 years.

"It's a sad time. My father worked here for 44 years and my brother-in-law for 38 years. Goodyear is very much part of our family. My wife wasn't very surprised when I told her because we've been here before. For 25 years things have been hanging in the balance as to whether the factory will close or not.

"Some of my colleagues have been asking me for advice about what to do about the situation. I tell them to do the job the best that they can and keep taking the wages until they are told their time is up."

Another employee Ben Jones, 32, of Joeys Lane, Bilbrook, said: "This is devastating news for everybody. Morale at the factory is quite low. I wasn't here when the memo was put on the notice boards on Tuesday. I heard about it on the TV news. We knew it was coming, but this final blow is very hard to take in."

Another worker, who did not want to be named, said: "I think it's been a harsh decision. As far as I'm aware the consultation was going to be extended until October 25 and it's all being cut short."

Unite regional secretary Gerard Coyne said: "The consultation with Goodyear over the closure of a highly productive and efficient plant has been nothing short of a sham.

"Management's refusal to release key information and its stonewalling over the business case for the closure leads us to conclude that it was taken because UK workers are easier to fire than their European counterparts.

"Workers have worked hard to make the Wolverhampton factory a success and feel betrayed. Over the coming weeks Unite will be doing everything it can to support our members and ensure they aren't left high and dry by Goodyear.

"We will also continue to press the government to live up to its rhetoric of 'march of the makers' by intervening and supporting UK manufacturing."

The decision to end production in January 2017 comes, despite the plant having high levels of productivity and efficiency.

Industry campaigner Ray Egan, known as John Bull, has been offering words of support to staff arriving at the factory gate. He said he hopes to organise a demonstration outside the US embassy in London and a march in Wolverhampton against the move.

"Despite the company saying that the factory is going to close. I always say to people never ever give up. We shall fight to the bitter end.

"It still rankles me about the closure of the HP Sauce factory and about Cadbury's going to Kraft."

Wayne Devaney, 53, mixing worker, of Yale Drive, Wednesfield, has written to President Barack Obama about the closure.

Wayne Devaney, 53, mixing worker, of Yale Drive, Wednesfield, has written to President Barack Obama about the closure, but has not yet had a response from the White House.

Mr Devaney said: "The general consensus here is that say it was disgraceful how the decision was announced to. They just slapped some posters on the notice boards. We expected that the company would have made sure all the staff had been informed before making a statement to the whole world, but that didn't happen.

"It's been quite shambolic really.

"A lot of these guys have been loyal to Goodyear and given their lives' service to the business and for them to be treated like this after 40 years is bad.

"I don't believe our government has done enough to assist. We are not asking for a bail out. This is a company that we have been assured by the assessors, made a profit last year and is viable."

Emma Reynolds, MP for Wolverhampton North East, said the closure was 'devastating' news for the workers and their families, and terrible news for our city.'

"I am saddened to hear about Goodyear's decision to go ahead with closing its Wolverhampton factory.

"The factory has been here for nearly 90 years and Goodyear is an iconic Wolverhampton brand. The planned closure comes as a bitter blow.

"Since the company's original proposals were announced in June, I have been working with the workforce and Unite to put pressure on the company to think again and I have called on the government to get involved."

"It is absolutely vital now to ensure that every employee gets help, training and support to move on to another job."

In a statement Goodyear said that 'no alternatives' to the company's proposal had been made.

It added: "During the coming months, our focus is to find responsible and fair solutions for the employees affected by this decision, including the opportunity to apply for vacancies at our other locations.

"We have not, however, reached an agreement with the union on the redundancy settlement for those affected by this decision."