An historic car parts manufacturer is to close with the loss of all 200 jobs, it was announced today.
Wagon Automotive, in Pelsall Road, Brownhills, fell into administration earlier this month but has now announced there will be no rescue package.
Workers were told the news at a meeting this morning before being sent home unemployed.
The factory, which made panels and door parts, can trace its roots to a railway engineering company set up at the end of the First World War. It supplies Honda which is set to close its Swindon factory for two months next year.
A total of 500 people work for Wagon at Brownhills, its Birmingham headquarters and a factory in Coventry. The Birmingham and Coventry bases will continue to operate for the time being.
Councillor Alan Paul, whose son Ian has worked there for 12 years, said workers were “absolutely fuming”.
He said: “There had been no warning that all 200 were going to go and they are all absolutely fuming. It has been handled terribly and everyone feels let down.
“My son and his colleagues have been told the Brownhills plant is finished and all 200 have gone.”
Brian Wint, aged 60, from Pelsall, has been a powder-coater at the firm for 24 years. “I’m absolutely gutted,”he said.
“It was more than just a job, it was a way of life. I’m in shock.”
Mark Hitchin, aged 42, from Beechdale, has been a setter operator for 14 years. He said: “As far as we knew, there were going to make 80 people redundant, but that was just a smokescreen.
“The way we have been treated is disgusting. We’ve been told to take our things and don’t bother coming back.”
As well as its UK staff, the company employs 4,000 people in Europe. It was not announced yet what is happening to those firms.
7 Comments
I’m totally gutted for you all, so close to xmas as well, good luck hope you all get new jobs, and lets hope 2009 is a little brighter
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i been at firm for 7 years and this last week has been mental torture having been made to come to factory and do nothing at all knowing our firm was bust !! all cloak and dagger and today i feel gutted having had my employment taken away and being told to leave premises has soon as possible disgusting behaviour for all the employees present and still not been paid by cheque for redundancy
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Gutted for you all,but thats what you get with some private sector managers. They couldn’t manage a public toilet
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how can wagon automotive keep on trading in europe and leave there uk workers high and dry without no redundancy money or severance pay shouldnt be allowed
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no.4 i’ll tell you why they still trade in europe because the british are easy to sack or close down,yet the labour keep banging on about us being in europe,they only want us for the crazzzzzzy 57 billion we the british taxpayer give to spineless europe,my brother worked in a warehouse they made my brother and about eight more redundant ,but kept the east europeans on,again we’re easy to get rid of.
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I worked for a sub contracting firm doing parts for Land rover, Aston Martin amongst a few. Not long after the Indian Firm Tata took over landrover/jaguar, we lost all our work for them. Soon after(in may this year) we where called in and we where all made redundant, but given the choice of staying on as “self employed” with no promise of regular work. After not finding work, I went back in november, but after 2 weeks told that Aston martin where in the crap and had cancelled most of their work.
The entire car industry world wide is feeling the pinch & I understand the need for cut backs, BUT they still need to treat us as human and understand that and give us the respect we deserve, not like cattle for the slaughter.
I feel for everyone right now going through the same thing & it is hard especially this close to christmass & the lack of help and jobs out there.
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just to say everyone at wagon as by law have 90 days noice of get the 90 days pay, i used to work at a company, was crossland then took ove by ksr automotive but these messed use and moved abord, buy law you got to have 90 days notice or the money for 90 days,you can take them to court as we did and won
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