T & G statement over the TVR saga
Discussion
Leaders of the Transport and General Workers Union in the North West said today the way the workers and local community have been treated by the sports car maker TVR over the last year, which culminated in the sale to Blackpool Automotive which went into administration just before Christmas, needed to be probed by the DTI. The union said that as part of any inquiry the Government should review the way workforces are treated when companies go into administration. 
"The sacking of over 250 skilled car workers with no pay, the 'hokey cokey' of people being laid off and taken back on and the hiving-off of workers to administration whilst directors appear aloof all need to be examined critically," said Dave McCall, T&G regional secretary in the North West at the union's first regional committee meeting this year. "Corporate legislation isn't working for working people and their families." The T&G recalled that there had been doubts over the last year as to the future of the company staying in the UK, rumours of production difficulties due to credit issues and the laying off of staff, only for TVR to then take everyone back on and claim the future was bright. In October 2006 an announcement was made by TVR of its intention to close the Blackpool operation and relocate manufacturing to an undisclosed site in Europe.
Talks were immediately convened with the company involving the T&G, the local authorities and the Regional Development Agency to try to find a resolution without closure. In December it was announced that TVR had sold the Blackpool business to Blackpool Automotive, which was put into administration just before Christmas, leaving the 250-plus workers without any pay or redundancy compensation. The T&G, and it understands, Blackpool Automotive’s administrators, have welcomed reported offers by Mr. Smolenski to pay the workforce direct, but says no monies have yet been received via this route.
If it proves impossible to pay the workforce through either the administration process or Mr. Smolenski, outstanding redundancy pay will have to be found under the statutory DTI scheme.
- In its 10 January issue, Autocar magazine reported that the now failed Blackpool Automotive Ltd. had been “hired to build cars for TVR in Macedonia”. It goes on to cite TVR MD David Oxley saying that TVR’s revival will involve a new limited edition Typhoon model to be assembled for TVR by Bertone in Italy from components supplied by fellow British sports car maker Noble’s supplier in South Africa. A reduced range of TVR models will, adds the magazine, feature a new version of TVR’s own V6 engine made Euro 4-compliant by Ricardo, and from 2010, a new Cerbera model to which Manchester University has contributed aerodynamics development work.
Not sure what the T&GWU hope to gain by this, beyond a little "we did all we could" PR.
In the end, if a private enterprise wants to mismanage itself into the ground with the loss of all jobs, no amount of government or trade union meddling can stop them. The unions involvement could even have caused this - Nikolai was very much against getting them in. Didn't he say something along the lines of "long slow death of TVR" if the staff voted to go union ?
In the end, if a private enterprise wants to mismanage itself into the ground with the loss of all jobs, no amount of government or trade union meddling can stop them. The unions involvement could even have caused this - Nikolai was very much against getting them in. Didn't he say something along the lines of "long slow death of TVR" if the staff voted to go union ?
NS did say that but I still want the DTi to investigate it. There is so much about the whole situation that stinks I want to know if its all been legal and above board! I dread to think how many people were constructively dismissed over NS years. Its about time someone stood up to the guy and questioned his work practice!
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 21st January 14:09
I come back to my main point here: WHY pay workers and factory overheads since, being reasonably generous, last April and then have this rather hasty and incredibly ugly (to the outside world of PR and prosepecttive customers)departure to avoid paying the rdundancy bills?
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
Max Attacker said:
I come back to my main point here: WHY pay workers and factory overheads since, being reasonably generous, last April and then have this rather hasty and incredibly ugly (to the outside world of PR and prosepecttive customers)departure to avoid paying the rdundancy bills?
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
Getting warmer !!!!!!!
cobdoo said:
Max Attacker said:
I come back to my main point here: WHY pay workers and factory overheads since, being reasonably generous, last April and then have this rather hasty and incredibly ugly (to the outside world of PR and prosepecttive customers)departure to avoid paying the rdundancy bills?
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
Getting warmer !!!!!!!
Well it is a cob-doo Mr.Cobdoo...
Edited by madblackpoollad on Sunday 21st January 18:53
madblackpoollad said:
cobdoo said:
Max Attacker said:
I come back to my main point here: WHY pay workers and factory overheads since, being reasonably generous, last April and then have this rather hasty and incredibly ugly (to the outside world of PR and prosepecttive customers)departure to avoid paying the rdundancy bills?
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
Getting warmer !!!!!!!
Well it is a cob-doo Mr.Cobdoo...
Edited by madblackpoollad on Sunday 21st January 18:53
a wffff kv.
Those of us that were laid-off last Easter were taken back after 13 weeks, to do what?, play cards, darts, dominoes, watch DVD's and stand about scratching our arses. Don't suppose the Motor Show coming up had anything to do with it!!!. Trying to 'save face' at the time I might suggest.
But to take us back, on full pay, to do nothing, then lay us off again in October, was a travesty, or, in lay men's terms, taking the piss!, a despicable way to treat a proud and once loyal workforce, who only wanted to go in and do a days work.
NS should have done the honourable thing way back at Easter, but then we are talking NS, someone who is definitely not 'on this planet'.
But to take us back, on full pay, to do nothing, then lay us off again in October, was a travesty, or, in lay men's terms, taking the piss!, a despicable way to treat a proud and once loyal workforce, who only wanted to go in and do a days work.
NS should have done the honourable thing way back at Easter, but then we are talking NS, someone who is definitely not 'on this planet'.
Awesome Dude said:
Those of us that were laid-off last Easter were taken back after 13 weeks, to do what?, play cards, darts, dominoes, watch DVD's and stand about scratching our arses. Don't suppose the Motor Show coming up had anything to do with it!!!. Trying to 'save face' at the time I might suggest.
But to take us back, on full pay, to do nothing, then lay us off again in October, was a travesty, or, in lay men's terms, taking the piss!, a despicable way to treat a proud and once loyal workforce, who only wanted to go in and do a days work.
NS should have done the honourable thing way back at Easter, but then we are talking NS, someone who is definitely not 'on this planet'.
But to take us back, on full pay, to do nothing, then lay us off again in October, was a travesty, or, in lay men's terms, taking the piss!, a despicable way to treat a proud and once loyal workforce, who only wanted to go in and do a days work.
NS should have done the honourable thing way back at Easter, but then we are talking NS, someone who is definitely not 'on this planet'.
Max Attacker said:
I come back to my main point here: WHY pay workers and factory overheads since, being reasonably generous, last April.......IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense?
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense?
The explanation has to be timing. NS could afford for it to have gone on longer, or saved money by doing it sooner. It happened NOW because NS wanted it to happen now.
Start trying to figure out “why does now suit NS?”
Max Attacker may be right and the answer lies in the past. I agree that there should be a full investigation.
Whether we think TVR is finished is irrelevant. NS does not think so and he is the one in control. Some of us see a fool not in control at all.
The alternative is a clever man, pretending to be a fool, deceiving almost everyone. One for whom recent events are planned and on a timeline of events. One who spent the last two years positioning his pieces on the board.
Who bought a big piece of Noble last year and what would it give NS? Space at Geneva, a US dealer network, a British assembly setup with proven logistics. Their bodies built overseas at the place the Sagaris moulds were sent to. 5000 cars a year looks more realistic in a joint brand. Noble are working on a 4 litre (S6?) car. I can't prove it, but it all fits. I fear for Noble almost as much as I dispise NS
Fester
I'm usually an optimist , hopelessly so, but I think I may be turning cynicalMax Attacker said:
I come back to my main point here: WHY pay workers and factory overheads since, being reasonably generous, last April and then have this rather hasty and incredibly ugly (to the outside world of PR and prosepecttive customers)departure to avoid paying the rdundancy bills?
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE LOOKED AT ONLY AS ABOVE!
Therefore the real oddity is in what way would it all make sense? It may require the DTI to look hard at this but I guess any decent investigative journalist or forensic account would quickly get to the bottom of it all.
Why not simply pay off the redundant staff last Easter time and go about the "restructuring" in a PR honourably led way?
Could it be considered perhaps that all the current fuss over the pre Christmas farce, restructuring/renaming/jettisoning of staff etc is all designed as a smokescreen to something even more newsworthy?
Perhaps the real investigation should be of the era before last Easter, ie before all of the shock announcements?
Any clever forensic accountants out there who know a journalist??
I believe that he had been legitimately trying to sell the company since April 2006, hence by keeping the workforce he had a viable proposition. When all considerations fell through in December 2006 then the axe fell. 
uncle fester said:
Who bought a big piece of Noble last year and what would it give NS? Space at Geneva, a US dealer network, a British assembly setup with proven logistics. Their bodies built overseas at the place the Sagaris moulds were sent to. 5000 cars a year looks more realistic in a joint brand. Noble are working on a 4 litre (S6?) car. I can't prove it, but it all fits. I fear for Noble almost as much as I dispise NS
There are clues all over the place. For example, Noble having a new gearbox that just happens to be good for 600bhp.
d
It begins to look more and more like the Rover travesty - wasn't there some investigation into the directors having hived off areas of land belonging to ROver, and subsequently sold for building? Also, China automotive has stripped out parts of the factory and shipped the machinery to China, but crucially, has possession of all the intellectual rights, MG name, many other proud British car makers names etc, etc.
I remember Peter Wheeler saying that the Speed Six would be made available for fitment in other cars - perhaps that statement is now coming to pass. Where would these engines actually be manufactured? Ricardo is British, are they going to produce the boxed engines?
I remember Peter Wheeler saying that the Speed Six would be made available for fitment in other cars - perhaps that statement is now coming to pass. Where would these engines actually be manufactured? Ricardo is British, are they going to produce the boxed engines?
nubbin said:
It begins to look more and more like the Rover travesty - wasn't there some investigation into the directors having hived off areas of land belonging to ROver, and subsequently sold for building? Also, China automotive has stripped out parts of the factory and shipped the machinery to China, but crucially, has possession of all the intellectual rights, MG name, many other proud British car makers names etc, etc.
I remember Peter Wheeler saying that the Speed Six would be made available for fitment in other cars - perhaps that statement is now coming to pass. Where would these engines actually be manufactured? Ricardo is British, are they going to produce the boxed engines?
I remember Peter Wheeler saying that the Speed Six would be made available for fitment in other cars - perhaps that statement is now coming to pass. Where would these engines actually be manufactured? Ricardo is British, are they going to produce the boxed engines?
There is certainly more than a 'Whiff' of the Rover saga here.. Obviously to a smaller scale.
Also, and i'm trying to be as balanced as possible here, i'm sure N.S has had more than a hint of advice from his father and it is common knowledge that his father can be more than a little ruthless...
Regarding Ricardo? From what i have heard they are a development company, not a manufacturer. I cant imagine them setting up a production line do roll out the Speed 6 engine.. (thats a personal opinion so am open to other suggestions..)
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