Massey workers hold 'action' talks

The home of the tractor is "being consigned to history"

Workers facing redundancy at the Massey Ferguson tractor factory are to meet union officials to consider possible action.

The Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) said shop stewards and convenors will meet at the Coventry plant on Thursday morning to discuss an "action plan".

Parent company Agco announced on Tuesday it was closing the factory, with the loss of more than 1,000 jobs.

T&G national organiser for manufacturing, Peter Booth, said: "The home of the tractor is being consigned to history and that is no way to treat people."

Workers angry

Mr Booth said the T&G had been asking for a meeting with Agco bosses since February.

"People are still angry at the way Agco senior managers flew in, closed the plant and flew out again.

"The decision to close was made in secret behind closed doors with no information to and consultation with the workforce and their trade unions.

"Indeed, it looks very much as if there was a deliberate intention of excluding the trade unions."

Cost cutting

The Banner Lane site is the largest tractor factory in the world, making up to 28,000 tractors a year.

Tractor production at the assembly plant will cease by the end of the year and transaxle production will finish by June 2003.

The high horsepower tractors produced in Coventry will now be made in Beauvais, near Paris.

The closure and the Europe-wide rationalisation of the company is expected to save Agco up to $25m by the year 2004.