Talks between Russian-owned specialist sports car company TVR and the Transport and General Workers union are continuing on Thursday after the automaker yesterday reneged on an agreement to keep production in the British seaside town Blackpool, in Lancashire.
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After the automaker said it would end UK production with the loss of 260 jobs, moving operations to an as yet unnamed location in Europe, talks began with the union.
Last night, Dave McCall, T&G North West regional secretary, said it would be wrong to build up hopes but the union and local authorities were determined to explore all possible alternatives to the company leaving Blackpool before fully accepting closure.
“We have involved the regional development agency as well as Blackpool Council in our deliberations today as we strive to save manufacturing jobs,” he said. “There are alternatives including trying to find other sites as well as looking at bringing in other manufacturers. The T&G is not going to let these skilled jobs go or this sports car, which has a long history in Blackpool, disappear from the north west without fully exhausting all the alternatives.”
On Thursday, a union spokesman told just-auto no breakthroughs had been made so far but talks would continue throughout the day.
TVR, bought by young Russian tycoon Nikolai Smolensky in 2004, had only last month said it would be staying in Blackpool, firstly at its current site in Bispham until 2008, and then at a new permanent home at Blackpool Business Park.
However, in April the firm had temporarily stood down 71 members of staff due to flagging demand, which was said to have fallen from 12 cars a week to just two.
Then the company on Wednesday said it planned to ‘outsource’ all production formerly carried out at the Blackpool factory, and agreements were being finalised for the 2007 run of Tuscan, Tuscan Convertible and Sagaris to be produced in Europe with fully-built powertrains due to be made elsewhere in the UK.
