THE consultation regarding the future of 300 jobs at one of Melksham’s biggest employers, Cooper Tires, is still ongoing.
In October last year, employees were told that the company is planning to cease mass tyre production in the town, telling them it is “not economically feasible to modernise or expand the Melksham site for light vehicle tyre production.”
If plans proceed following the consultation, 300 workers out of the 732 employees in Melksham would lose their jobs over a 10-month period.
In a letter given to employees on 10th October, Cooper Tires told employees that it envisages the consultation process would take approximately eight weeks, but this was subject to change.
When approached by Melksham News for an update on the consultation, a Cooper Tire Europe spokesperson said, “We continue to have constructive discussion with Unite and other employee representatives. We look forward to concluding the consultation process to best support our employees and the Melksham community.”
At the time of the announcement, Cooper Tires offered reassurance that Melksham will remain the home of its European headquarters, and its sales and marketing offices, Europe Technical Centre and materials business, and plans to continue production of specialised motorsports and motorcycle tyres at the Melksham plant.
