Toleman's job cuts cancelled
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• Car transporter Toleman Automotive appears to have abandoned plans to axe nearly 100 jobs in Liverpool, following a sharp increase in the number of cars coming out of the nearby Ford plant. Last summer Toleman announced that it aimed to cut 98 Halewood jobs out of a workforce of 170.
David Wilcock, managing director at the time, told CM the Liverpool operation was "grossly overmanned" and suffered from "manipulation and abuse" (CM 29 Aug-4 Sept 1991).
Wilcock claimed he was prepared to "take on the union in Liverpool" if necessary and doubted that differences could be settled amicably. However, Wilcock was made redundant by Toleman last month, which blamed the cutback on poor UK car sales.
The Transport and General Workers' Union says only about 10 jobs have gone at Halewood since Wilcock's pronouncement, and these were where workers reaching 60 could opt for an early retirement package. There have been no compulsory redundancies.
"We have no dispute with the company and everyone is working in harmony," says Jim Gouldbourne, TGWU Liverpool region road transport officer. Gouldbourne adds that Toleman did issue 30-day notices of redundancy to the Halewood staff last August, but these were later withdrawn. A pay claim is now in the pipeline which will ask Toleman to match inflation.
Rival car transporter Silcock Express, which has a share of the Ford contract, recently told CM that it was moving more cars out of Halewood — it attributed the increase to a boost in export sales. However, Ford says most of the Halewood output continues to go into the domestic market.
Gouldbourne is meeting management at Tankfreight on 13 April in a bid to persuade the NFC company to withdraw 90day notices ending a bonus scheme for 400 drivers.