With 100 skilled manufacturing jobs under threat, while failed Mayor Jason Perry refuses to act, other councillors have stepped in to persuade the Nike supplier Zotefoams to reconsider its plan to move operations to Vietnam
Zotefoams is the firm established in Croydon more than 100 years ago which has developed the top-secret foam used in the running shoes of some of the world’s top-rated athletes, including Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the first man to run the 26 miles and 385 yards of the marathon in less than two hours, Keely Hodgkinson, Britain’s 800metres Olympic champion and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the mercurial Norwegian distance runner.
Zotefoams has a long-term contract to supply its products to US sportswear giant Nike, and has been making huge profits from the deal. But as Inside Croydon reported this week, its management wants to cut its labour costs by setting up a factory in Vietnam. At least 100 skilled manufacturing jobs in Croydon will be axed as a result.
Go-faster shoes: Keely Hodgkinson is one of Nike’s star runners, and uses their shoes with hi-tech foam
In a letter to Zotefoams management, Ria Patel, the leader of the Green group at Croydon Town Hall, and her colleague Paul Ainscough, wrote: “The loss of over 100 skilled, local manufacturing jobs would have a significant, serious effect on employees, their families and the wider borough of Croydon.”
The Greens’ letter spoke of how the councillors had been impressed “by the pride, commitment and specialist expertise” of the Croydon workers at Zotefoams who they had met last week.
“We understand that your business remains viable and this proposed reorganisation is not as a result of financial difficulties… This could be an opportunity to build on the company’s expertise in lightweight foams, engineering and recyclable mono-materials, while responding to growing demand for sustainable products.”
Six-point plan: Green councillor Ria Patel has approached Zotefoams
Patel and Ainscough raised concerns about shop-floor safety with a reduced workforce, with proposed job cuts to health and safety roles. “Any restructuring, if at all, should ensure that appropriate staffing and safety standards are maintained.”
And they wrote: “Croydon has a skilled workforce and a strong potential base for partnerships involving technical knowledge, research and product development, quality control, specialist production and sustainable manufacturing.”
The councillors’ letter made six requests of Zotefoams before any rdundancies are finalised.
1, Publish an assessment of alternatives to job losses, including additional work, contracts and products that could be developed or expanded at the Croydon site.
2, Consult with employees and trade unions fully on alternatives to redundancy, including retraining, redeployment, voluntary measures and, if redundancies remain unavoidable, enhanced redundancy packages.
3, Seek support from Croydon Council, the Greater London Authority and relevant UK funding programmes to identify potential support for manufacturing, skills, research and product development.
4, Set measurable targets for the future of the Croydon site: including, but not limited to, retaining local jobs, using recycled materials, developing sustainable products and product recovery and recycling.
5, Hold a public meeting with the employees, trade union representatives and residents to explain the proposed changes and the business case for them, alongside reporting on the alternatives considered.
6, We also urge you to engage fully with the workforce and recognised trade union, GMB, throughout the consultation.
And the Greens’ letter concluded: “Zotefoams has a long-standing presence in Croydon and a highly-skilled workforce. We believe there is an opportunity to show that commercial efficiency, environmental innovation and responsible employment can reinforce one another.”
Read more: Nike’s super shoes foam factory looks to cut 100 Croydon jobs
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