Dodge to quit GKN Telford factory
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THE PRODUCTION of Dodge 100 Series cab shells will be switched from GKN at Telford to Karrier's own Dunstable plant from April next year.
Laurent Brisset, Karrier's chairman, said this would save about sixty jobs at Karrier.
Earlier this year (CM September 12), it was announced that 285 employees were to be made redundant at Karrier's Luton and Dunstable plants when production of the Dodge PB Spacevan ended early in 1982.
The loss of the Dodge cabs contract is sad news for GKN Sankey which has already suffered badly because of the depressed commercial vehicle industry. At Telford, GKN manufactures lorry wheels and agri cultural tractor cabs for Ford and Massey-Ferguson and various other commercial vehicle cabs.
Just two weeks ago it was announced that 340 employees from Telford would lose their jobs in the new year but it was not known then that this was partly because of the Karrier de cision to make Commando ca assembly in-house.
A GKN company spokesma said the loss of the Dodge wor was a "great disappointment but the majority of the currer job losses resulted from th drastically reduced demand fc lorry wheels. He was unable t say how many of the 340 peopl involved were employed on th manufacture of Dodge cabs.
This time last year 4,800 wer employed by GKN at Telforc When the current redundanc programme is completed thE figure will be down to less tha 2,500.
GKN has been manufacturin Dodge cabs since the Corr mando's original launch in 1973