Thursday, May 7, 2009

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Jaguar aid talks 'near collapse'

Jaguar Land Rover is relying on support from its parent Tata.
Talks between the carmaker Jaguar Land Rover and the government on a package of financial support are close to collapse, the BBC has learnt.
The carmaker received what it was told was a final offer from the business department on Friday.
Jaguar has not formally rejected it, but is understood to feel that the tough conditions demanded in return for guaranteeing a loan are unacceptable.
If no financial help is provided, jobs and important investment could be cut.
The government is understood to want a right to veto management decisions, appoint its own chairman and have a say in any future redundancies at the company which employs 14,500 people.
The BBC's business editor Robert Peston said Jaguar views the proposal as backdoor nationalisation - and is minded to turn the offer down.
This would not be curtains for a totemic company that until recently was making good profits, our correspondent said.
But it could lead to significant cost cuts that would entail job losses and serious reductions in valuable investment.
Taxpayers' money
The dispute centres on financial support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and conditions the UK government is imposing in return for guaranteeing the loan.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) insisted the government was "prepared to help, although not on any terms".

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