Love Lane Bus Depot, Liverpool (Hansard, 25 February 1987)

§ Mr. Robert Parry (Liverpool, Riverside)

I seek leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 20, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the closure of the Love Lane bus depot and the sacking of"— [Laughter.] Instead of laughing, Conservative Members should listen. The purpose of the debate is to discuss a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the closure of the Love Lane bus depot and the sacking of 270 transport workers by the Crossville bus company, Liverpool. The matter is specific because it deals with the sacking of 270 workers, many of them long-serving employees, and the closure of a bus depot in my constituency, which has the highest unemployment level on the British mainland.

The matter is important because more than 150 of the sacked workers have between 10 and 25 years' service. One has more than 30 years' service and is only two sears off retirement age. None of these workers has received or will receive a penny in redundancy pay. That is an absolute disgrace.

The matter should receive urgent consideration because the sacking follows a strike of bus drivers who refused to drive old second-hand buses— some 14 years old with no power steering. Crossville's action may encourage other bus companies to follow its scandalous lead, thus endangering the lives of not only bus drivers and passengers but pedestrians and road users. I hope, for those reasons, that you will grant my application, Mr. Speaker.