‘I was made redundant and then got a welcome brochure from firm’s new owner’
PENDRAGON WORKER LOST JOB AS US FIRM COMPLETED ITS TAKEOVER
A FORMER Pendragon employee received a glossy welcome brochure from the company’s new owners shortly after being made redundant.
The ex-employee, who lost his job on January 31, has expressed his anger at the nature of his termination and warned that more roles could be cut after the Annesley-based car dealership firm was sold to an American group.
Lithia and Driveway finished its £397m purchase of the majority of Pendragon – which had been the UK’S third largest car dealership group and for a long time Nottinghamshire’s second largest business – on the same day the worker’s employment ended.
The Post understands that as a result of a decision taken by Pendragon before the deal’s completion, nine workers who monitored CCTV for the company’s dealerships were made redundant, with the work contracted out to a firm in Bristol.
But one of those security workers, who did not want to be named, has explained he still blames the sale for the “bombshell” redundancies.
“It was quite sudden. We had been given a glimmer of hope and then the rug was pulled out from beneath us,” he said.
The former employee, who had protected dealerships for years, received a letter on January 15 informing him of Pendragon’s decision. He was angered by the short notice and generic nature of the document, as its author did not address him personally.
To make matters worse the exemployee later received a brochure welcoming him to Lithia when its takeover of Pendragon was completed – with the firm seemingly unaware he had been made redundant.
“After they made me redundant I got a glossy brochure which welcomed me to the Lithia team when my job had already gone. I feel like no-one really thought about us, and I feel like I don’t have closure.”
The former employee claimed he was told by Pendragon managers the decision had been made by the new owners, although the Post has been told the move was not linked to the sale. “All the staff who were at Pendragon were in the dark about what was happening,” he added. Previously Pendragon had been a major employer with around 7,000 employees across the country, but the former worker was concerned more of his colleagues could lose their livelihoods in future restructuring following Lithia’s purchase. “I think a few people there will be in for a surprise after the takeover, a lot of the managers have left in the weeks before this. Pendragon was a big local employer, but I don’t know what will happen to it now.” Lithia has not commented on whether redundancies will be made following the completion of its buyout deal. The car dealer did acknowledge the process could result in “uncertainty”, but did not explain what this may mean for employees. Ashfield District Council, which is the local authority for the village of Annesley, where the company’s headquarters had been, has suggested job losses may be in the offing.
We had been given a glimmer of hope and then the rug was pulled out from beneath us.
Former Pendragon employee