Rover suppliers lose workers

The service, announced at a meeting held by the Welsh Automotive Taskforce on Thursday, will offer help on how suppliers can claim financial advice.

Up to 600 jobs are thought to be under threat in Wales and more than 100 workers have already been laid off.

Production at Rover's Longbridge plant has stopped, after rescue talks with a Chinese company collapsed.

Around 12 supplier firms, mostly from south Wales, were represented at Thursday's meeting.

Unions and Welsh Development Agency officials were also present at the talks on the Waterton Industrial Estate in Bridgend.

The Welsh Automotive Taskforce described the meeting as "positive", and more talks, which banks and financial advisers will be invited to attend, are planned for next Wednesday.

Tim Williams, from the group, said:"It was good for people to meet and to get an idea of the processes involved and how they can find help".

Aid offer

TRW in Resolven and Calsonic in Llanelli, have already laid off workers and there are fears Krupp Camford also in Llanelli, could lay off 150 staff.

Thursday's meeting followed discussions between a task force of government officials, union leaders and industry experts earlier this week.

Some suppliers have been to Longbridge to reclaim stock

This group confirmed that Welsh suppliers will be eligible for the aid on offer from the UK government if they do more than 15% of their business with MG Rover.

If a firm does less than 15% with MG Rover, it could still benefit from aid in the form of business advice being offered by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Mr Williams said suppliers were pleased to be able to gather together to gain information about how the crisis impacted on them. Some had already been to MG Rover's Longbridge plant to try to reclaim goods.

"There was also a dealer there who wanted to know how their part of the industry is affected by this ," he said, adding there were around 19 dealers affected by the crisis in Wales.

Krupp Camford Pressings in Llanelli has already said it will have to let go 60 temporary staff. Unions said they expect this figure to rise to 150.

The firm Calsonic, in nearby Felinfoel, is losing 17 workers. Last week, TRW Automotive, which has plants in Resolven and Pontypool, said it would have to cut 42 staff.