Rolls Royce workers pledge to fight to save Mersey plant from closure

Nov 2 2007 by Alistair Houghton and David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

WORKERS last night pledged to fight back after Rolls Royce announced a “devastating” plan to close a Merseyside plant.

The company yesterday began a 90-day consultation with workers over the intention to scrap all 220 jobs at the Netherton factory, which makes turbines for the oil and gas industries.

Rolls Royce is planning to move the entire operation at Atlantic Park, on Dunnings Bridge Road, to America. The company says high production costs in the UK, compared to the USA, meant the Bootle factory was no longer viable. That was combined with the current high dollar-to-pound exchange rate, and what managers described as “fluctuating workloads”.

But leaders of trade union Unite have launched a campaign to save the plant. Bootle MP Joe Benton is today due to visit the site to discuss the potential for a rescue package.

The Mersey Partnership and Sefton Chamber of Commerce hope jobs can be retained.

Unite says the plant builds well-regarded products, and is “historically very productive”.

Regional officer Debbie Brannan said the union will tar-get MPs, ministers and the firm’s energy industry clients and start an online petition calling for the plant to stay open.

“We are shocked but not surprised by the company’s plan to close its Merseyside plant – but this is the beginning of our fight-back, not the end,” said Ms Brannan.

“We will not stand by and watch our members lose their jobs and see another vital manufacturing plant lost. Our campaign will reach out to Westminster and the industry, and we will be seeking the council and local people’s support to keep the plant going.

“We will do everything in our power to stop the closure of the site and ask the people and politi-cians of Merseyside to join us in doing the same.”

Ms Brannan said Unite hoped to table an emergency motion at tomorrow’s North West Labour Party conference in Southport.

She said: “If the firm listens to the proposals we’ve got, we are confident we can save the plant.”

The plant, formerly known as Cooper Rolls was taken over by Rolls Royce in 1999. It shed 90 jobs in 2005 and another 70 last year, leaving staff fearing for its future.

In August, a leaked Rolls Royce memo announced a review of the plant and suggested production could be moved to America.

Ralph Kirkpatrick, Rolls Royce vice-president of energy opera-tions, said reasons for the review included “fluctuating work volumes, a high cost base and an adverse (dollar) exchange rate at our Liverpool facility for a couple of years.”

The company insisted no decision had been made, but yes-terday revealed it was proposing to move production to its plant in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Rolls Royce spokesman Martin Brodie said: “We announced our intention to enter into formal consultation on a proposal to close Liverpool and concentrate our energy packaging operations out of an existing US facility.

“No decision will be made concerning the future of the site until consultation has been concluded after the New Year.

“If a decision is made to move forward with the closure proposal, it is expected that the facility will close in late 2008, early 2009.”

Mike Basnett, director of opera-tions at The Mersey Partnership, said: “We have been working with the company through our after-care manager in Sefton Borough Council in their efforts to retain the plant and the skilled jobs it provides. Rolls Royce is a world-leading company and we must hope a credible business case can still be made to secure their investment and jobs here.”

Steve Dickson, chief executive of Sefton Chamber of Commerce, said: “The effects of globalisation and centralised production in business is sadly an issue that industry has to face, but the Rolls Royce Netherton site’s products and reputation have been enviable. We are concerned that exchange rate fluctuation and a strong pound appears to have been a convenient reason for the US to make this decision.

“We should all fight hard to protect the heritage and skills of the site and the future of its fine workforce.”

Workers speak of betrayal at closure > > >