Gm asked to give up Holden brand name?

[Maka]

"South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill says the idea of another company using the Holden name on its vehicles is just one of a range of issues to be discussed with the company as part of its exit strategy.

The government has previously revealed it has already been approached by international vehicle companies that might be interested in taking over Holden's manufacturing facilities.

"It may be that a particular car manufacturer might want to set up here but use the equity that's in the Holden brand to continue making cars," Mr Weatherill told reporters on Wednesday.

"That's obviously something that's the property of General Motors at the moment and, presumably, they have an interest in keeping it because it has value for them.

"But that is something that we would want to advance in any discussions with Holden."

The state government will also ask the company to accept the level of assistance it needs to provide to its own workers and those in other companies that will be directly affected by its decision to stop local car production by the end of 2017.

That will include allowing workers the opportunity to have paid leave to do work experience in other industries where new positions might be available.

"There is a very big exercise in sitting down with Holden and making sure that they accept their responsibilities to their own workforce," Mr Weatherill said.

"Those responsibilities travel further than just simply paying a redundancy payment."

Holden executive director of corporate affairs George Svigos said General Motors would not give up the brand to a rival producer.

"GM is completely committed to the Holden brand," Mr Svigos said.

"We intend to continue with the Holden brand for many, many years to come."

with thanks to ninemsn-

http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbu...ving-up-holden


cheers, Maka

[CyberWasp]

"That will include allowing workers the opportunity to have paid leave to do work experience in other industries where new positions might be available."

I can't work out why they don't want to make cars here anymore if this is the level it has gone too.
How many people have had 3 years notice and the ability to have paid work experience to try other jobs they may like to do?

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Maka

"There is a very big exercise in sitting down with Holden and making sure that they accept their responsibilities to their own workforce," Mr Weatherill said.

"Those responsibilities travel further than just simply paying a redundancy payment."

A very generous redundancy payment, far more so than most others in the manufacturing industry.

I am quite frankly annoyed that more taxpayer funds are going to be wasted helping these people when the writing has been on the wall for years, and they've had ample time to be proactive about re-skilling and seeking alternative work.

It's ridiculous to try and blame Holden for the death of local manufacturing. Why don't Ford have any responsibility toward local parts suppliers, simply because they jumped off the sinking ship first?

[Blueford260]

Ford were not the first to leave, overseas manufactures have been jumping ship for years. Australia had at one point 20 odd (maybe more) car, truck and tractor manufactures in some form or another. Back then even if a car was made overseas car companies would set up plants and put a certan amout of Australian made parts on it to pay less import tax, then free trade came and then a high Australian dollar spelt the end of local manufacturing not just in the auto industry.
So if you take that in to account Ford are the 3rd last to leave which has showed a fair bit of loyalty to the Aussie market they stayed even when loosing money when others bailed long ago.

[Bossxr8]

As if GM would give it up, they would rather kill it than let a rival use it for their gain. What a stupid story.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

As if GM would give it up, they would rather kill it than let a rival use it for their gain. What a stupid story.

Spot on Boss! Only thing good about this shutdown and the Ford one too is the classics and even post classics will now DEFINATLY start appreciating.....
ALL of them!

Great time to own a classic/post classic in excellent condition I reckon.....

Get in before prices go ballistic!!!!

Will a GT HO go to 1 Mill in the next few years??? I bloody hope so!!!!

[eb2fairmont]

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by b0son

A very generous redundancy payment, far more so than most others in the manufacturing industry.

I am quite frankly annoyed that more taxpayer funds are going to be wasted helping these people when the writing has been on the wall for years, and they've had ample time to be proactive about re-skilling and seeking alternative work.

Why blame the workers?

I don't mind my tax money helping them out, it is better in their pockets than some politicians personally rorting our tax dollars.

Show some compassion......

[b0son]

Originally Posted by trublu

Why blame the workers?

Its not a question of blame. The fact is their redundancy payments are well above what they'd be getting from other employers, so it beggars belief that not only is it not enough for them, but they also expect us to top them up.

Show some compassion......

Where's the compassion for the workers that will get only the minimum required payments? I imagine many of the workers at the parts manufacturers will be in this boat. Those are the people that are the real victims in all this, because Ford/Holden/Toyota have been screwing parts suppliers margins down for years.

[Luke Plaizier]

Squeezing straws? What the? ;-)

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by b0son

Its not a question of blame. The fact is their redundancy payments are well above what they'd be getting from other employers, so it beggars belief that not only is it not enough for them, but they also expect us to top them up.



Where's the compassion for the workers that will get only the minimum required payments? I imagine many of the workers at the parts manufacturers will be in this boat. Those are the people that are the real victims in all this, because Ford/Holden/Toyota have been screwing parts suppliers margins down for years.

Unfortunately all workers are not equal depending on who employs them but remember this when it comes to redundancy payments it paid by the employees company, not the government.

One thing I do agree with you is that the Government should help all involved in the associated car industry.

[brismike]

Why not give up the brand name? .. Quite a few Commodore drivers have already .. you know, the ones that stick Chevvy badges on lol.

[eb2fairmont]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

Squeezing straws? What the? ;-)

The original article is just simply clutching at straws, largely from comments by a desperate South Australian Premier due for reelection in two months. He needs to be seen doing something, but the rhetoric has been heard all before here when Mitsubishi closed.

There is no way GM will stop using the Holden brand in the short term, despite the best efforts of people proudly putting chev badges on commodores. Simply put it still sells cars.

As for efforts to entice another manufacturer to buy Elizabeth, it is not the SA governments to sell. It's GM's. Any manufacturer attempting this would need deep pockets of money and what for? An assembly plant at the *** end of the world, which has an expensive workforce. It will fall over like most things in SA, because to do it is just too bloody hard, with red tape, taxes, and associated government BS.

Not saying its not possible, but the chances are really low.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

"That will include allowing workers the opportunity to have paid leave to do work experience in other industries where new positions might be available."

I can't work out why they don't want to make cars here anymore if this is the level it has gone too.
How many people have had 3 years notice and the ability to have paid work experience to try other jobs they may like to do?

Exactly...

They should just be thankful they didn't get two weeks notice and a pink slip...or like some people, turn up monday morning to a locked factory gate...no idea why they have to have such a special deal when they've got such a staggeringly long period of notice.


Speaking from personal experience, if they brought out the Chev Impala in RHD, Commodore buyers would very likely take to it in big numbers and people would wonder what all the fuss had been about. It was a great car to drive around in Nevada. However, I think our noise regs could strangle it a bit...the new top of the line LTZ we drove had a fantastic induction noise and growling exhaust, and it was only a FWD six. In some of the videos we took through the windscreen with the camera you can hear the noise when I gave it the berries here and there...sounded great!
I think a Chev badge (on an actual Chev car like the Impala, not an old Commodore...) might actually sell pretty well here.

[eb2fairmont]

How true. I went to work one morning, was made redundant, and back at the camp to be flown out by 9 am.

[Burnout]

GM should just call it what it is: Daewoo Australia.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by b0son

A very generous redundancy payment, far more so than most others in the manufacturing industry.

I am quite frankly annoyed that more taxpayer funds are going to be wasted helping these people when the writing has been on the wall for years, and they've had ample time to be proactive about re-skilling and seeking alternative work.

But they have. The closure of the manufacturing plant here at Geelong loses just over 500 jobs. Now, I'm trying to downplay the impact on these people, but as many as 8,000 were employed in the 1960s (http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-h...523-2k3w3.html).

[fte50]

Originally Posted by b0son

A very generous redundancy payment, far more so than most others in the manufacturing industry.

I am quite frankly annoyed that more taxpayer funds are going to be wasted helping these people when the writing has been on the wall for years, and they've had ample time to be proactive about re-skilling and seeking alternative work.

Annoyed or jealous ?? - What's it to you that most of these fellas will get a free investment property and 250-350K super ......

[fte50]

Originally Posted by b0son

Its not a question of blame. The fact is their redundancy payments are well above what they'd be getting from other employers, so it beggars belief that not only is it not enough for them, but they also expect us to top them up.



Where's the compassion for the workers that will get only the minimum required payments? .

The fact is they have more than contributed to the tax coffer at the highest rate, proportionate to their wage, more so than others as an example.
The fact you imply these workers should not receive any assistance purely coz they work for a multinational and will be paid generous to walk is absolute ignorant and discriminatory.
Furthermore, who says there is no compassion for those in other sectors that get minimum ..... they do however have a choice in strengthening their position to ensure they don't get minimum .. but you would also argue at this too.

[JG66ME]

The realisation that Holden is not really Australian after all.

[b0son]

Admittedly both. Who wouldn't be jealous? Blue collar workers in industries with a strong union presence have worked in a sheltered workshop for years. They'll be in for a rude shock when they start looking for work elsewhere... just ask ex-Qantas maintenance workers that eventually found work for half the money at other airlines.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by fte50

The fact you imply these workers should not receive any assistance purely coz they work for a multinational and will be paid generous to walk is absolute ignorant and discriminatory.

They should receive no more assistance than anyone else in other industries would receive. To give them more then these others is what is discriminatory, no?

[fte50]

Jealousy is a curse - be thankful these foreign corps pay out big and the $$ are staying in OZ rather than filling some US shareholders wallet.

[b0son]

I think you mean *paid*. Most of our $$$ will be going OS now with no local product. That's if anyone buys anything, its not like Holden sell market-leading product in any other segment.

[fte50]

Originally Posted by b0son

They should receive no more assistance than anyone else in other industries would receive. To give them more then these others is what is discriminatory, no?

And I can almost bet my left testicle the level of govco assistance they receive will be SFA..... don't believe all the fluffy crap govco tell you about assistance -its just political dribble in a reactive climate, and the fact majority of employees will walk generously means their assistance wont exist once means tested.

[2011G6E]

One one hand I am sure most people feel sympathy for workers who are losing their jobs.

But on the other hand, quite rightly, people are a bit annoyed at all the fuss being made and demands for funding and programs to help, because three words stand out loud and proud:
Three. Years. Notice.

[KiwiKilda]

This is interesting

You Brand is worth more all you plant and machinery combined

Try sell Coke with out the Coke Logo

Typography Graphic Design Badging and Communication
are such important parts of "The Vehicle"

The Bean Counters don't get this
or do not appear to have calculated it
Destroy the Brand and you have nothing

And the Brand has to Stand for Something
well it used to

But not any more

Fords a Ford a Ford
and is still a Ford

isn't it

What's a Holden

Very Sad Day for Aus when Iconic Brands can no longer manufacture here

Been to
Geelong on Australia Day

FN Great or used to be

[The FOMOCO]

[QUOTE=brismike;4988841]Why not give up the brand name? .. Quite a few Commodore drivers have already .. you know, the ones that stick
Chevvy badges on lol. [/QUOTE

I thought the chevvy was already in production, around Elizabeth thats all you see chev badges everywhere no holdens in sight

[Davehoos]

I don't think people understand the 21st century economy.

scrapping the brand will give a one off write down and allow for future growth.

See profit and bonus without making anything.

But what would I know.

P/s you can buy Coke as cheep as no name-but try sell no name at a premium markup in a vending machine.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Davehoos

P/s you can buy Coke as cheep as no name-but try sell no name at a premium markup in a vending machine.

That being the reason behind the current 7 Eleven/Mobil re-branding exercise...