Employees of a Black Country haulage firm are to take a pay cut in a bid to save jobs across the country, it was revealed today.

Aspray Transport has 464 staff nationwide and says the reduction in wages will stave off redundancies.

Stuart Laight, managing director of the firm, based in Noose Lane, Willenhall, said the cuts had not been caused by a loss of customers, but by a slow down among the businesses they serve.

“We employ 464 people and the majority have supported a pay cut rather than any of their colleagues be made redundant,” he said.

“I am delighted at how the staff have responded. This will mean no one will be made redundant and no one will be put on short time, it is a short-term measure to help us weather the storm. But I have absolutely no worries about the future.”

Many of the 120 who work from the Willenhall headquarters, the firm’s only Midland base, will have to take the drop in pay. An employee, who did not want to be named, told the Express & Star: “It is about a five per cent cut in wages which is about £20 a week for some. We have been told that if we don’t accept it the contracts will have to be re-drawn. Some people aren’t very happy.”