Workers at Michelin’s Stoke-on-Trent Remix plant have voted to take industrial action after a dispute over pay conditions. Members of the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) at the factory supported strike action by almost three to one and industrial action short of strikes by just over four to one. 81 per cent of the T&G members took part in the vote.
Maserati is to participate in the entire 2005 American Le Mans Series race calendar, following discussions between IMSA and Maserati Corse. After 48 years absence from Sebring the team will make its debut on 19 March with a factory racing car and has teamed up with Pirelli.
Quicksilver has launched a stainless steel exhaust system specially designed for the new Land Rover 3 and Discovery 3 V8 petrol and Turbo Disel V6. According to the company, the new products are for “bold confident people who enjoy making a fashion statement,” and provide “a distinguished air of supremacy.”
Benecke-Kaliko AG has signed a joint venture agreement with Jiangsu Changshun International Trading Co in order to “expand production capacities considerably.” Approximately 10 million euros will be invested in a production site in the provincial town of Zhangjiagang City, 120 kilometres north west of Shanghai. The factory will produce PVC expanded sheeting and PVC leatherette for the Chinese automotive industry from mid 2006, creating 170 jobs
A fire at ContiTech’s Dannenberg facility is likely to cost millions of euros, the company reports. The recent blaze, which broke out on the morning of 29 January, completely destroyed one machinery hall and partially damaged another. The fire also spread to a warehouse and a laboratory.
Although the flames were strong enough to require 300 fire fighters, no casualties have been reported and local residents are not said to have been in any danger. The majority of production was also able to resume the same day.
The Dannenberg factory belongs to two divisions of ContiTech Antriebssysteme GmbH and Vibration Control GmbH. The plant produces a range of automotove products including drive and timing belts for industrial purposes.
The threat of strike action at the Michelin tyre plant in Ballymena has been lifted, the Belfast Telegraph has reported. Workers at the plant voted by a substantial majority not to embark on a course of industrial action. As a result, union negotiators have told management that a pay offer, which had been rejected in November will now be accepted.
Workers at Michelin’s Ballymena plant are to vote over possible strike action. The outcome of an indicative vote on industrial action at the Michelin tyre factory should be known early next week. The vote follows the news that workers at Michelin’s Dundee operation have accepted the terms, while workers at the company’s Stoke-on-Trent site are in the process of postal ballot about the strike action.
Members of the Transport and General Worker’s Union (T&G) at Michelin’s Stoke-on-Trent factory will be balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay. According to the union, the action comes after a majority of members rejected the company’s December 2004 pay deal. The company has refused to alter its lump sum offer.
Michelin representatives expressed their disappointment that the deal was rejected, but confirmed that they were committed to finding a solution. The company also offered the deal to workers at its Ballymena and Dundee plants.
Mexican workers have bought the Euzkadi factory that Continental Tire had planned to close. By investing the severance packages that they received when the closure was announced in December 2001 the union workers have acquired 50 per cent of the factory that will shortly be renamed Cooperativa de Trabajadores Democráticos de Occidente. The remaining 50 per cent was purchased by Llanti Systems, a former customer of the factory and its Pneustone brand. At the same time the Mexican government honoured an agreement stating that union members who invested in the joint enterprise will be exempt from income tax.
Euzkadi’s closure left 1,164 workers unemployed, after claims that the factory was financially impracticable.
The fist tyre manufactured by the new enterprise is expected to be roll of the production line by mid 2005. The new company will have a capacity of between 10,000 and 13,000 tyres per day, a level similar to that of Euzkadi plant prior to its closure.
Michelin has resumed production at its joint venture in Shanghai after halting operations to “clear its stock of unsold tyres,” reports news source Bloomberg.
The announcement follows several reports last week that stated the tyre factory would suspend production for months to come following a slowdown in sales in the Chinese market.
Bridgestone is to supply Potenza RE050 radial tyres for the Ferrari Superamerica. Delivery of the tyres, for factory installation on the newest Ferrari convertible, will begin this month.
The Superamerica is derived from the 575M Maranello and will be produced in limited edition. Powered with a 12-cylinder engine and featuring a rotating roof in combination with electrochromic technology, which allows the driver to adjust the amount of sunlight that shines into the cockpit.
After the company only recently confirmed plans to build its 48th tyre factory in Brazil, Japan’s Nihon Keizai is reporting that Bridgestone will build two more facilities. According to the newspaper the new factories will be built in China and Eastern Europe at a total cost of more than £253 million. The Chinese plant will produce bus/truck and passenger car products in China and is likely to be built in Huizhou, Guangdong province. As for Eastern Europe, a number of locations have been the subject of media speculation. Possible countries include Slovakia or Poland where Bridgestone already has a tyre factory.
Pirelli has begun to install a fourth MIRS production line at its US factory in Rome, Georgia. Production will be in full swing by June 2005 and the new line will produce predominantly Scorpion Zero SUV tyres, including the new 26 inch tyre, recently shown at the SEMA exhibition. Rome will become Pirelli’s main source of performance SUV tyres, with all of its 4×4 output being tyres of 22 inches or larger.
Ford has started using Hankook’s Ventus Prime tyre on its new Ford Mondeo. The vehicles will use 205/55R16V and 205/55R16H sizes. The company reports that Ford will also fit its Focus and Fiesta models with Hankook tyres. Both models are made at the Ford’s factory in Valencia, Spain.
Ducati’s MotoGP team has announced that it will change tyre suppliers next year. The team is leaving behind its long association with Michelin, “in order to seek advantages by being different.” As a consequence of the change, Ducati riders Loris Capirossi and Carlo Checa will use the same tyres as Suzuki and Kawaski. All the other major factory and satellite teams will use Michelin.
“We have a great respect for Michelin, and a good relationship with them. They always gave us the best tires that were available. But they also supply all the best factory teams, and all the best riders. We decided after a lot of discussion that if we have different tires, then that will give us different opportunities for success. And we also believe that the Bridgestone tyres have already reached a high level,” commented team manager, Livio Suppo.
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