Labour set to rescue Rover

OXFORD MAIL
Labour set to rescue Rover

The Government is reported to be ready to provide a grant package worth almost £200m to safeguard Rover's Longbridge factory in Birmingham. The Longbridge plant is under threat of closure by its owner BMW, with the potential loss of 50,000 jobs.

But now the car-maker looks poised to sign a far-reaching deal with union leaders this week to safeguard the future of the site. The aid package is conditional on Rover's 39,000 workers agreeing to sweeping working practice reforms that will boost productivity and cut Rover's soaring losses. These include the loss of 2,500 jobs and the prospect of big pay cuts for those left.

Workers at all Rover's factories, including the engine and assembly plants at Longbridge and Cowley, Oxford, will be expected to vote for the new regime.