Goodyear warns it may close all tire operations at Wolverhampton

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (Jan. 11)—Goodyear will close its remaining tire making operations at Wolverhampton unless the work force offers "tangible changes" to improve productivity, the company has warned. Truck tire production at the plant is scheduled to end at the end of January with the loss of 468 jobs. This would leave it with around 1,000 employees involved in making passenger, light truck and farm tires. While talks with trade unions aimed at improving the competitiveness of the British facility are continuing, the outlook is bleak, according to Vernon Dunckel, Goodyear senior vice president for global supply. Negotiations have not produced any significant improvement proposals, he said in a prepared statement. The Midlands operation "will remain at risk as long as the plant's products are non-competitive and therefore not in demand in the marketplace," Dunckel said. "It is unlikely that medium radial truck (tire) production can continue at Wolverhampton."