Emergency talks were being held today between trade unions and bosses at a Cleckheaton factory which has been earmarked for closure.

It is feared about 270 jobs could be lost if Germany-based TMD Friction carries out its plan to shut its brake products plant in Hunsworth Lane.

Officials at Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union are fighting desperately to save the factory, which they say is modern and profit-making.

TMD Friction, which manufactures brake linings and supplies major car companies including Toyota, announced on Monday its plans to close the site.

The company, which has its headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany, has revealed that it wants to transfer production to its other factories in Hartlepool and in Germany and France.

It has now started a 90-day consultation period with its staff and the unions.

Bev Clarkson, regional industrial organiser for T&G, accused TMD Friction of wanting to close the factory purely to maximise its profits.

She said: "Reading between the lines we feel that, by moving the company away from Cleckheaton, it will give them financial gain because terms and conditions are poorer in Hartlepool and wages are less.

"Hopefully we can come up with a solution to save at least some of the jobs at the factory."

Dick Croft, regional officer for Amicus, said: "The news came as a shock to everyone. Before Christmas the company was still recruiting, so something must have taken place since then. They say Cleckheaton is the least profitable of their companies, but it is not losing money."

Mr Croft said he believed only about 20 workers would remain at the Cleckheaton site if manufacturing was halted there.

He said: "We will try to persuade them to keep the factory open. It is early days and we don't know yet whether we will be successful."

The unions have enlisted the support of Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood.

Mr Wood has spoken to Gerri Doyle, managing director of TMD Friction, by telephone and said he hoped to speak to him in person next weekend.

Mr Wood said: "Both the unions and our office are trying to get more information from the firm. Once we have spoken to them in more detail then we will have more of an idea of why they want to close the factory.

"Our main focus it to try to keep all the jobs at risk in Spen Valley."

Mr Doyle said the automotive industry had changed beyond recognition in the last 20 years and that, like any manufacturer, TMD Friction was under constant pressure from customers to maintain the highest-possible quality at the lowest-possible cost.

He said getting the balance right was vital if the company was to maintain a competitive edge, as that was the key focus of a global review by the company which employs 4,500 worldwide.

Mr Doyle said: "We are exploring a number of options apart from closing Cleckheaton and moving production to other sites in the UK and mainland Europe."

Until consultations had been completed, Mr Doyle said the company was unable to confirm what the time scale for any closure would be, or what redundancy terms would be offered.

He said that, if the Cleckheaton site closed, up to 80 new jobs would be created in Hartlepool, where the firm already employs 288 people.

TMD Friction Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of brake friction materials. It operates in five other European countries, the US, Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan and Malaysia.

In 2005 it generated a turnover of approximately £440 million.

e-mail: ali.davies@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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