LV is counting the cost
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LEYLAND VEHICLES resumed delivery of new chassis and spare parts this week, with the end of the strikes at its Leyland, Chorley, and Bathgate factories.
All 12,000 workers at the factories voted to end the strikes, which were called in protest against 4,100 redundancies and the restructuring of the Leyland Group.
An LV spokesman said that it would take until Wednesday of this week for the Bathgate plant to get back to normal.
A meeting was scheduled for this week to establish the amount of engine business the Bathgate plant has lost, following excavator manufacturer J. C. Bamford's decision to resource up to half of its orders with Perkins.
The spokesman told CM that the loss of all of the JCB busi ness would have meant another 200 jobs disappearing at Bathgate, but he could not say whether any would go now. Ironically, JCB changed to buy 98-Series diesels from Bathgate when it experienced similar problems obtaining Ford engines 15 years ago.
Leyland has also to take a final decision on whether it will go ahead with a T45-derived replacement for the bottom-of-therange Bathgate-built Terrier model.
According to the spokesman, the strike has cost Leyland between £50m and £60m, and this could have an effect on future investment. The Terrier successor was dropped from the plans during the strike, but the BL board may reinstate it in more favourable conditions.
The restructuring plan allows for the Terrier replacement to be built in Lancashire, where the successor to the Boxer — due to be launched at this year's NEC Motor Show — will also be built.