Yesterday the Leyland Guardian reported on the anger of Bosal workers at Councillor Barrie Yates', comments sticking up for the company's bosses over redundancy payments.
Councillor Yates' comments were reported in the Leyland Guardian last week after he spoke at South Ribble's Full Council meeting in defence of Bosal's management.
Bosal, the exhaust manufacturer based at Walton Summit, had announced 94 redundancies in November 2007 and subsequently, it has been reported, refused to pay the full redundancy packages due to the workers. An agreement had apparently been reached three years ago to pay three weeks' wages for each year of service for redundant workers and are now offering much less.
At the council meeting, Councillor Yates, who is also a Bosal employee lucky enough to keep his job, used a speech in the chamber to defend the company to the amazement of Labour councillors.
Labour group councillors called a point of order and attempted to put the workers point of view forward until stopped by the Mayor. But the group reiterated its point of view that Bosal management must honour previously agreed redundancy packages.
Councillor Yates said:
"Bosal is a good employer that pays good wages. I feel sorry for the people that have gone, but glad for the ones who have survived. We've got to say the management is working hard for the future of the everyone still at Bosal, people are quick to slag employers off, but sometimes they deserve some praise". He also said that they were 'doing all they can'.
Workers beg to differ.
Worker Kenny Scott said "There never were any talks. Barrie's comments are the management's opinion and they have not gone down well on the shop floor."
Unite union senior shop steward, Steve Peters, was also dismayed:
"I couldn't believe Barrie came out with those statements, I am still in touch with the lads, some of those who have stayed and that is not their point of view.
There's never been any negotiations and we just feel after all these years for them not to honour the agreement is stabbing them in the back."
Councillor Yates has also caused further astonishment to his former Idle Toad colleague, Tom Sharratt, at abandoning him to join the Tories.
In a timely comment, given Councillor Yates' position on Bosal, Councillor Sharratt told Leyland Guardian:
"Well I think it is unbelievable....I've had no notification from the chief executive, there's been no announcement and the last I heard from Barrie was when he told me he was becoming an independent. There was nothing said about joining the Tories.
All I can say is seven days is a pretty short time to travel from socialism to capitalism."
By contrast, Labour Councillor Tom Hanson has been instrumental in setting up support for the sacked workers.
He said: "As soon as one of my constituents came to see me about what was happening, I spoke with the council's economic development officer, notified the job centre and arranged a meeting with the shop stewards".
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