The company's French owners, Alstom, announced earlier this month it would stop building trains at the Washwood Heath factory after its current contract to manufacture tilting 'Pendolino' trains for Virgin ends next July.

Up to 1,000 jobs could be lost as a result.

Unions want to mount a campaign on the scale of the one which helped to save Rover three years ago.

It's not just the people here who are losing jobs, its people who supply us as well Tom Keogh, from Amicus Union

Tom Keogh, from the AMICUS union, said workers would not go without a fight.

"The cry from the meeting is that we're not leaving," he said.

"We will be lobbying the French owners in Paris on 2 July in terms of job losses.

"Birmingham is not a small place, it's a major, major employer in the area.

"We're not going anywhere, we might be down but we're not out."

Shareholders meeting

He said they were angry the firm's massive order to supply London Underground trains is going to Spain.

"If all the work goes abroad then all the supply chain is cut here and goes abroad," he said.

"It's not just the people here who are losing jobs, its people who supply us as well."

Unions will make their feelings known when they lobby a shareholders meeting in Paris next week.