'Like losing somebody really close': Goodyear workers left deeply sad at end of an era
Former Goodyear workers have expressed their 'deep sadness' that the plant has closed its doors for the final time today.
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The closure marks almost 90 years since the iconic company opened its doors and is the end of the era for the firm which first set up and produced a tyre in the city in 1927.
Ahead of the closure, campaigners took to the streets outside the Bushbury Lane site yesterday to stage a 'wake' to commemorate the company and its impact on the city.
Wayne Devaney, aged 54 of Wednesfield worked for 28 years at the plant until he was made redundant in January this year. He now works packaging yoghurts at Müller in Telford.
He said: "I have a really deep sadness. It's like losing somebody really close to you and going to the funeral to watch them be buried.
"When somebody dies, you just keep asking why, why were they taken from me, and this feels the same – we still haven't got the real answers as to why Goodyear is closing in Wolverhampton."
The final day of work will now be followed by a close-down period, estimated to end in June 2017. Initially, the plant was expected to close on December 31 but the date was brought forward to before Christmas.
Those workers leaving the site today will leave 37 colleagues to work on completely closing down the site. By this Friday, 283 workers will have left the site.
Mr Devaney added: "With everything that's been happening, its brought it all back, the memories and the ghosts that you used to work with.
"I've been keeping in touch with the lads ever since I left and they've been telling me how soul destroying it has been to strip everything down and ship it out."
Earlier this month, it was revealed that not one Wolverhampton worker has taken up the company's offer to transfer to work in Mexico.
Adrian Foster, aged 52, now lives in Penkridge, but used to live in Oxley when he worked at the plant and walked to work there every day for 32 years. He left on Friday.
He said: "We shed our tears over the closure 18 months ago.
"Hundreds of people have left since then. It is very disappointing. We all thought that we would see out our days there but it wasn't to be. As they say, nothing lasts forever. I'll be signing on soon.
He added: "Accountants close plants and it is just easier, quicker and cheaper to transfer production to Europe.
"Wages in Europe are a fifth of what they are here. It was just easy for them to leave the UK, our laws mean that they only have to give 45 notice of a closure whereas in France it can take years."
Plans to close down the site came to light in June 2015 and sparked major opposition from workers and unions.
Goodyear chiefs confirmed in October last year that the plant would be completely shut.
Management said it had become commercially uneconomic due to falling sales and the value of the pound on international markets.
Tyres are no longer made at the factory but it produces rubber compounds for tyre factories overseas as well as retread tyres.
In 2002, the site was sold to developer St Modwen. Since then, hundreds of homes have been built with more planned.
