Jobs go in Seddon shake-up
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A MASSIVE shake-up at Seddon Atkinson has resulted in • the closure of the Bamber Bridge spares and service depot and 161 redundancies.
The news comes two weeks after plans for the re-organisation leaked out with the resignation of spares and service managing director Mr David Gregson who left on "a matter of Iprinciple" when plans for Bomber Bridge were revealed to him.
Changes have also been made at the top of Seddon Atkinson. Joint managing directors will still be Mr G. J. Redmond and Mr D. W. Redmond but they will be running the group through a streamlined team of six managers based at the Oldham plant At the same time the company it closing its Atherton works at Preston and transferring service and warranty to Oldham where marketing manager Mr R. B. Ide will be in charge.
In a statement Seddon At kinson says that the moves will result in cuts in the overheads which will enable it to be more competitive.
A spokesman for Seddon Atkinson said this week that of the 161 men who had been made redundant 94 had been I offered new jobs within the group but had not yet replied I to the offer.
Workers at the group plants are reported to be "blacking" sub-contracted work in the group. When Mr Gregson resigned and it became known that there were plans for the Bamber Bridge depot, union convener Mr Tom Maitchell commented: "The lads obviously want a quick answer to these questions."
He said: "Of course, we are concerned about the manpower situation and the effect on the members of the AUEW. There is a certain amount of subcontracting within the company and it is this that will have to be looked at before there are reductions in the work force."