By Suzanna Kerridge, 24 April 2001 17:00
NEWS The company has been accused of ignoring the needs of its workforce while it decided whether to close the plant down by union representatives. A spokesman for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) accused Motorola of misleading workers and the Scottish Executive. "Our members were given assurances that they would be informed before anyone else of what was happening, but that has not happened," he said. "Motorola has refused to talk to the trade unions and the information we and our members get is the news that comes from the media. "Reading between the lines, we get the impression that even the Scottish Executive was not told everything," he added. The news is likely to devastate the area, which relies heavily on Motorola for employment. "We're more than a little disappointed that the company has decided to leave. There will be a future for that industry and there will certainly be one here. People here have lives based on that salary but now that's all gone," said the AEEU spokesman The future of the West Lothian facility has been in doubt for some weeks following the release of Motorola's poor first quarter figures. In a statement, Motorola blamed the worldwide decline in mobile phone sales for its decision to close the facility. The company said it had informed the Employee Consultation Forum of its proposal to shut the plant, putting 3,100 people out of work. The Forum has 90 days to plead its case before Motorola makes a final decision.
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