lbsent director faces uncertain future
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:HE FUTURE of Bill t.1 ins, the National Freight :onsortium's • parcels group nanaging director, looks unertain after his absence .from • ast Sunday's. NFC annual ;eneral meeting.
In the course of a lively paestion-and-answer session m the merger of the parcels t)mpanies, following NEC's idmission that last year's toadline recovery plan did lot work, a shareholder asked vhere Collins was.
NFC chairman Sir Peter Thompson replied: "As for 3ill. Collins, alIT can say is hat he is on leave. and we are liseussing his future with
"He certainly is not to be managing director of the new cOmpany (National CarriersRoadlinc)."
.It appears that Collins, who Was brought back from NFC's ..Arnerican operations early last year to, lead the recovery of the parcels business, went on leave around the end of last month.
But Sir Peter reacted angrily to another shareholder who asked how many more managing directors were being lined up to run the parcels business.
. He said: "Roadline has broken more managers than any other business' with which have become associated. Good. men who have tried their best." . TGWU shop steward Sid SimmOnds said insufficient time had been allowed for last year's recovery plan to prove itself.
"It'seeins to .me it has been the intentionof the hoard • to close Roadline in any case:" Sir Peter said this was the first year that NEC could afford the £32 million restructure costs involved. with the parcels group merger. It would cost another £25 Mil-. lion to close the remaining
parcels business. • . •
"For .20 ye.,ars, we have supported and tried JO make• sense of two companies. And, God knows, that is good enough in My book";
• NEC shares rise, p6.