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Wheels in motion to help Dyson workers
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Thursday 7th Mar 2002.
DYSON employees have started in a lengthy consultation programme after last month's announcement of 845 redundancies at the Malmesbury factory.
The first employee consultation committee met on Friday to discuss the reasons why Dyson has made the proposal, the number of people who would be affected, timing and the redundancy packages on offer.
The meeting took place a month after James Dyson told his workers the jobs were to be axed because he is moving the company's vacuum cleaner production to Malaysia.
Dyson will be able to boost company profits by paying Malaysian workers less than £1.50 an hour to do the same job.
The transfer of jobs to the existing factory used by Dyson in Senai will take place in two stages. The Malaysian contract manufacturing operation was set up two years ago.
The first phase will be at the end of May when 125 temporary manufacturing staff will be laid off.
Twenty support staff will be given a month's notice at the end of April.
A spokesman for Dyson stressed that no permanent manufacturing or mould shop workers would be made redundant in the first phase.
The second and biggest phase of the redundancy programme will complete the transfer of all vacuum cleaners to the Far East. "Production of all Dyson upright vacuum cleaners in Malmesbury will cease on or around the beginning of November this year," said the spokesman.
"Redundancy notices will be sent to the 700 affected employees a month before production ends. The remaining temporary staff on the vacuum cleaner production line will also go."
The company claims the redundancy package is better than usual. The statement said it was proposing to more than double the statutory payment required and every individual, regardless of length of service, would receive something.
Dyson has also said it will increase hourly pay rates for the 125 temporary staff who will be the first to leave in May.
The three-month consultation programme will mean meetings on a weekly basis at the factory.
Members of the employee consultation committee were chosen by employees.
Dyson has also set up an on site support centre to help those losing their jobs find new employment.
North Wiltshire District Council is setting up a Rapid Response Service to work with employees made redundant.
Bob Marshall of the district council said: "I believe it's important for the agencies involved to be working together to help deal with the redundancies in a way that will help the individuals affected."
A number of local companies have contacted Dyson, keen to take on some of its staff. Unemployment is currently low in the town, with only 20 men and nine women registered unemployed.
About 900 employees will remain at the Malmesbury plant, including R&D and washing machine workers.
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