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PRIVACY
Manufacturing

GKN workers vote in favour of strike action to fight closure plans and save 519 jobs

The company wants to close its "no longer viable" Erdington plant and transfer work overseas

Workers at a closure-threatened engineering plant in Birmingham have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.

Staff at GKN Automotive in Chester Road, Erdington, are preparing to fight the company's plans to close the factory and transfer work overseas.

The closure of the site - which makes drivelines for the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ's automotive industry - would result in the loss of more than 500 jobs and apprenticeships.

READ MORE: £250,000 investment puts finishing touches to Black Country firm's recovery

Now 95 per cent of those balloted have voted in favour of strike action in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the factory closure in 2022.

And union representatives at Unite are calling on interested parties, including the government, local politicians and GKN's customers - such as JLR, Toyota and Nissan - to reach an agreement on future production and support.

A failure to reach agreement could see strike action hit the plant and customers over the coming weeks.

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: “This is a tremendous result and shows the determination and confidence of the GKN workforce to fight for their jobs, their community and the long-term future of their plant.