ANGRY Bombardier staff are boycotting overtime in a bid to force bosses to come clean over the future of the famous Crewe Works site.
Still reeling over plans to sell the busy brakes repair department, hundreds of employees have sacrificed extra pay in the short-term for long-term job security.
They are downing tools at night and at weekends causing a backlog of work worth millions to the Canadian-owned company.
Loss of vital manpower has seen it struggle to meet deadlines for rail repairs and now bosses fear customers will take their business elsewhere.
Crisis talks were underway yesterday after Crewe and Nantwich MP Gwyneth Dunwoody met with union officials representing the 1,000-strong workforce.
Amicus union convenor Mick Roberts said: 'Most workers are prepared to lose time-and-a-half on a Saturday and double-time on a Sunday to show the company they mean business.
'It's drastic action we know but we are not prepared to see the company sold-off piecemeal. There's 70 people in the brakes department who want to stay part of Crewe Works and not take their chances with a new owner.
'Without this voluntary overtime arrangement, the company stands to lose orders. There's already a 10-day backlog of service and repair jobs and customers are getting impatient.
'Mrs Dunwoody calls it `high stakes poker' but workers are prepared to take the risk to show their depth of feeling.'
Last year the troubled site was given 90 days to improve its performance or face possible closure after massive losses were recorded.
After a huge effort, it was given a clean bill of health which made January's announcement to sell the brakes and train couplers section a bitter pill to swallow.
Colin Walton, head of Bombardier's UK operations, was on site yesterday to talk to union officials.
Company spokesman Neil Harvey said: 'Orders are falling behind and arriving late. Customers are worried and some have already started to look at alternative arrangements with other firms, which can only be to the detriment of Crewe Works.
'Hopefully, the meeting between Colin Walton and union representatives can solve some of the issues in hand and normal working arrangements can be resumed.'
