MORE than 600 workers were today left fearing redundancy after bosses put their business up for sale.

Car parts giant LucasVarity is trying to sell its wiring systems division - which includes Lucas Rists in Accrington - just three months after employees there had to take a pay cut and face a two week layoff to cut costs.

The firm has moved to reassure workers that redundancies are not inevitable from the sale move.

But with severe overcapacity in the automotive industry the decision to sell the group will raise uncertainty over the Accrington factory, one of the largest in East Lancashire. Staff were issued with a statement about the sale yesterday.

"It is a very worrying situation for our members and we will be asking the company for answers to our questions," said Noel Jackson, regional organiser for the GMB union.

"The Accrington workforce has been very loyal over the years and hopefully a buyer will be found for what is a very good business."

But he said the move to sell would raise questions about the long term future of the site. "Many of our members there are the sole wage earners in their families and if we were to face something more serious than we are at the moment then obviously that would have a devastating effect on the town."

The wiring systems division, which employs around 4,000 staff in the UK, is being sold as a going concern by LucasVarity which is being taken over by American industrial giant TRW.

A company statement has said that jobs are not necessarily at threat and John Plant, president of LucasVarity Automotive, said: "We are selling a good business with bright prospects and already have received significant expressions of interest for it from a number of companies."

He said joining the group with a wiring specialist would be better for the future of the business.

As well as Accrington the division has factories in Newcastle under Lyne, Sunderland and Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

It also has a plant in South Wales which is being closed with the loss of around 700 job losses.

LucasVarity said the business was no longer considered to be central to its main operations.

Last week the firm announced 120 job losses at its car parts factories in Burnley because of a downturn in demand.

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