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LTI administrators make 156 redundancies

Buy photos » LTI Taxis, in Holyhead Road, has gone into administration. Picture by Jon Mulis 43.012.027.cov.jm1

UNION chiefs have slammed London Taxi International administrators for making 156 workers redundant - 99 at the headquarters in Coventry - just a day after taking over the running of the cash-strapped firm.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) had said it was in discussions with several parties interested in buying the Holyhead Road-based black cab maker.

But in a statement on Wednesday night said they had no choice be get rid of what amounts to half the UK workforce to 'overcome the group's operational issues' but insisted there were enough workers left to ensure the firm would continue to operate.

Roger Maddison, Unite national officer for the automotive industry, said: "Only last night (Tuesday) PWC were telling us there were significant interested parties.

"Now the administrators are ruthlessly sacking over 150 highly skilled workers at the iconic black cab maker.

"The black cabs are world famous and we believe this company has a future. How can PWC treat this company as a going concern with virtually no staff?

"The black cab is part of Britain's car manufacturing heritage; the government must now be on standby to save this historic company from being left to the vultures."

Manganese Bronze, LTI's parent company, had previously agreed to suspend sales while a recall relating to a faulty steering box.

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