Unions oppose LT-Paccar deal
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• The Amalgamated Engineering Union and the Transport and General Workers' Union both say they will "totally oppose" any future deal between Leyland Trucks and the Paccar group, but both say they can "see merit" in a deal with a fellow European truck manufacturer such as Daf.
"I understand that Paccar is looking to buy," says Leyland's AEU district secretary Len Brindle, and "we have continually argued against takeovers by foreign competition."
Provided the DAF deal allows 50-50 manufacturing rights for the two companies, and equally shares other key responsibilities, Brindle says the AEU will "favour" such a deal.
The TGWU's national motor industry secretary Mick Murphy agrees word-for-word with the AEU line and he has written to Rover Group chairman Graham Day complaining that the unions are never involved in prior discussions on the company's future. "We're never consulted. It's highly regrettable and bad public relations. It's not in the company's interests or our interests that the unions are always seen to be reacting to the situation." Murphy will meet Day on January 16 to discuss the way the Rover Group continues to negotiate, in his view, behind the union's back.
According to Brindle, "companies like Mercedes must be laughing all the way to the bank as Leyland goes through another period of uncertainty. It's a further example of the economics of the madhouse. Paul Channon and his cohorts just want to get rid of Leyland."
The unions believe that the Government's underlying strategy is to contract BL and its loss-making truck operation to make Land Rover a more attractive purchase target. "The only side which has consistently made con
structive suggestions about the long-term future of Leyland is the union side," says Brindle, "and we have been ignored."
Both union leaders are furious that another cloud is gathering over Leyland's future, and that neither of them were told it was coming. "Look at the responsible way we have just completed the annual wage talks," says Murphy.
"We're very much motivated by the best interests of the company."
"One thing's for sure," warns Brindle, "we won't sit on the fence again. We've had enough of that."