Goodyear will definitely shut Wolverhampton factory

Closure would take place on a phased basis, the firm said

Tyre company Goodyear will definitely close its only UK manufacturing plant, bringing to an end nearly 90 years of history in Wolverhampton.

Plans were first announced in June and all 330 workers at the Wolverhampton site were expected to lose their jobs.

The first redundancies were likely on 31 December and closure would take place on a phased basis, the firm said.

The Unite union said the news over these likely redundancies this year had come "somewhat as a shock".

Production at the plant is anticipated to end no earlier than January 2017, the firm said.

The company said it had decided to implement its proposal to close the Wolverhampton facility following a consultation period with unions.

It said it was "important to understand that no alternatives to the company's proposal have been made".

History of Goodyear tyres in Wolverhampton

• According to its website, Goodyear was founded in 1898 in Akron, Ohio, USA

• The company began to expand internationally and in 1913 plans were announced to open a branch in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Goodyear bought the Wolverhampton premises in July 1927 and the first tyres were manufactured in December that year

• In 1939 the company switched to war production. Factory employees worked 20 days on and just one day off

• At its height, the factory employed 7,000 workers

Production at the plant was anticipated to end no earlier than January 2017, the firm said

The company said during the coming months its focus was to find "responsible and fair solutions for the employees affected" including the opportunity to apply for vacancies at its other locations.

It said it would continue to work closely with unions and the taskforce group - led by Wolverhampton City Council and set up to support staff - to put together support for employees who cannot transfer to other roles in the company.

In a statement, it said: "We have not, however, reached an agreement with the union on the redundancy settlement for those affected by this decision.

"The company has recommended involving Acas in order to finalise the settlement."

Gerard Coyne said the union was left with one option - to take its case to chief executive Richard Kramer in the US

Regional secretary of Unite in the West Midlands Gerard Coyne said its members would be "bitterly disappointed" by the announcement, after an announcement was put on a notice board.

Asked how he was trying to persuade the management, he said: "An independent consultant had been appointed to review the business case and certainly some of the limited information they'd provided... has shown that this could be a profitable and productive site as long as it received the right level of work."

Mr Coyne said the union was left with one option - to take its case to chief executive Richard Kramer in the US.

He said: "We certainly are going to be writing to him and pointing out a number of the pitfalls in the analysis that has been undertaken in terms of why the site should close and if needs be, we will take our case to America.

"A delegation will go out and meet with the management if that facility is offered."

BBC Midlands Today Black Country reporter Ben Godfrey

It is the news that thousands of people in Wolverhampton feared. It is the end of Goodyear, a company that has been in the city for up tor 90 years.

It is akin to the demise of MG Rover in Birmingham. There will be a big impact.

A lot of the workers found out today. Emma Reynolds, the MP for Wolverhampton North East, said she was "bitterly disappointed".