Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

manchester Indymedia

Federal Mogul's Spodden Valley manufacturing jobs to be axed?

Save Spodden Valley | 14.02.2006 15:32 | Ecology | Globalisation | Social Struggles | World

US based Federal Mogul has just announced a consultation on the future of all manufacturing jobs at its Rochdale site in the Spodden Valley.

Property developers axe Federal Mogul's trees... are manufacturing jobs next?
Property developers axe Federal Mogul's trees... are manufacturing jobs next?


A Federal Mogul spokesperson has just commented:

“The proposal announced to our Rochdale site in no way reflects the hard work and commitment shown by our employees in trying to meet the needs of the business”.

“We have to compete globally with other manufacturers and, to do that, we have to reduce excess production capacity and consolidate our manufacturing facilities. We already have production capacity and expertise at other Federal-Mogul sites and so can supply customers from those locations”.

Federal Mogul took over Turner & Newall (T&N) in 1998. Other former T&N companies that are not part of Federal Mogul continue to operate from the Rochdale site. It is not known if manufacturing jobs are threatened at these businesses.

The Spodden Valley site was originally known as Turner Brothers Asbestos. All asbestos production ceased by the early 1990’s. Federal Mogul continued to produce non-asbestos automotive products and sealing systems in Rochdale.

The entire 72 acre factory complex was sold in early 2004 to Heywood-based MMC Developments Ltd and Channel Island based company Rathbone Jersey Ltd. Countryside Properties (Northern) Ltd entered into an option agreement for the site in April 2004.

The manufacturing companies that remained on the site, including Federal Mogul, became tenants. It is understood that leases for the factory buildings were due to expire in 2007.

Controversy was sparked within weeks of the property developers taking over the site:

At dawn on a Saturday morning in May 2004, dozens of forestry contractors began felling acres of surrounding woodland. Federal Mogul played no part in the destruction of woodlands that surrounded the factory buildings.

The shock and disgust of the actions of the new landowners’ damage to the site caused the formation of the Save Spodden Valley campaign.

In December 2004, a planning application to demolish all factory buildings and replace them with over 600 homes, small industrial units and a children’s nursery was lodged by MMC Development Ltd, Rathbone Jersey Ltd and Countryside Properties (Northern) Ltd.

This controversial residential planning application remains on hold pending a review of the developers’ Environmental Impact Assessment. A Health Impact Assessment has recently been announced

Ken Smith, Head of Planning for Rochdale Council has stated recently that he does not envisage the planning application being decided in 2006.

Save Spodden Valley Campaigner Mick Coats comments:

“Ever since MMC and Countryside Properties have come on the scene things have gone from bad to worse. How can manufacturing companies secure medium /long- term employment when they face eviction to build flats and houses on the site?”

Vince Kelly, now a consultant engineer based in Ireland, once worked at the T&N factory. He laments the opportunities lost for engineering and innovation in Rochdale:

“I started as a trainee in 1974, was paid though college to degree level and now consult in the manufacture of carbon fibre, a safe asbestos replacement. Carbon fibres are manufactured in Europe in Scotland, France and Germany, not "low cost" developing economies. So why not at the Rochdale site? Surely "high tech" industrial development is the way forward?”

Local Ward Councillor Elwyn Watkins comments:
“This part of Rochdale needs to retain high quality manufacturing jobs for local people. The Kingsway Business Park is years from coming fully on stream”.

The Federal Mogul spokesperson concluded:

“This is disturbing news for all our employees at Rochdale and we very much regret that we have had to put this proposal to our people. We will keep staff fully informed of developments as the consultation process gets underway and make sure that they know what is going on.”

Save Spodden Valley
- e-mail: SaveSpoddenValley@hotmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.Spodden-Valley.co.uk

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Manchester Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Manchester Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Manchester Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Manchester Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Manchester Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Manchester Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Manchester Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Manchester Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Manchester Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech