UNION leaders have vowed to "fight all the way" over the axeing of 90 factory workers at Fylde luxury car firm - TVR - last week.

The lay-offs - which represent around 20 per cent of the TVR workforce - were announced last Friday afternoon after company management revealed staff at the Bristol Avenue factory had produced more car bodies than needed.

According to the firm - which was sold to 24-year-old Russian multi-millionaire, Nikolai Smolenski, for a reported £15m last July - customer demand for the existing range of prestige cars has suffered over plans to introduce two new models of sportscar next year.

But Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) leaders claim the majority of TVR's skilled workforce had been encouraged to work overtime up until last week.

They believe the job losses are a result of increased union activity in the factory where more than 150 workers voted in favour of recognising the TGWU on February 22.

TGWU Regional Industrial Organiser, Richie James said: "These redundancies are not, as suggested, due to poor performance..

"Since the union earned recognition the company have seen a huge rise in production from four cars to 12 cars a week and there has been absolutely no mention of any kind of problems with sales.

"In fact, dozens of workers were working overtime just last week to keep up with demand.

"This is just yet another exercise of power from a company who - when its workers were seeking union recognition - were told they would starve the firm of funds until it "died a slow, painful death".

"In our eyes there is no explanation for this laying off exercise other than to rid the company of a seemingly random selection of union members.

"The management even refused to discuss the redundancies during a meeting with TVR managing director, Robert Way, after the announcement had been made.

"The meeting lasted 50 minutes!"

One of the workers laid-off on Friday wishes to remain anonymous, but claims he first learned of the cuts after being handed an unmarked envelope by the factory foreman.

He said: "There was absolutely no warning. One minute we're working, the next we're handed a letter by the foreman and we've not got a job!

"I was gobsmacked. In my eyes you don't treat hard-working people like this. They didn't even bother to write my name on the envelope. It's not right."

Current staff contracts held by TVR workers contain a clause allowing management to cut staffing levels at any time during production.

But TGWU chiefs say they have already begun preparing their case to fight against the redundancies.

Mr James added : "Our feeling now is that this wasn't a battle we sought to have with TVR bosses, but it's one we will fight all the way.

"Our solicitors are already working on the legalities and we have invited management to a further meeting with workers at Bispham Community Centre on Friday morning.

"They have yet to confirm whether they will attend."

TVR failed to respond to requests for interview by The Citizen, but company spokesman - Phil Jones - has been reported as saying the firm hopes to be in a position to offer new jobs when more orders came in.

Mr Jones said: "We have been overmanned in some departments. This decision is commercial."