A CAR part company taken over by a German group - amid concerns about possible job cuts - has taken on 50 extra staff at its Pontypool plant.

TRW Automotive was bought by the multi-national car parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen in September in a deal worth $13.5 billion.

The merger is expected to create one of the biggest car part suppliers in the world with 138,000 staff and combined sales of $41 billion.

The TRW factory in New Road, Pontypool, supplies parts to leading car manufacturers including Honda and Nissan and employs about 400 staff.

Industry sources feared the merger may lead to redundancies but the German group stated TRW would be operated as a “separate business division” within ZF when the merger was announced on September 15.

In addition, union representatives sought to dispel fears about potential job losses saying the plant in Pontypool had increased its workforce to around 450 over the last month.

A Unite union spokesman said: “TRW has increased its employer count by 50. The orders book is good until 2020.

“Everything they are going to do is going to make TRW grow there.

“The convener said there was nothing to be concerned about at present.”

A TRW spokesman said: “The transaction will create a global leader in the automotive supplier business with pro forma combined sales of approximately 30 billion Euros (US$ 41 billion) and 138,000 employees.

“The combined company will be well positioned to capitalize on favourable mega trends in the automotive industry by bringing together complementary product offerings and leading technology positions that serve high-growth areas such as fuel efficiency, increased safety requirements, and autonomous driving.”

ZF chief executive Stefan Sommer added: “The acquisition of TRW fits perfectly into our long-term strategy.

“The transaction combines two highly successful companies that have remarkable track records of innovation and growth and solid financial positions.

“We are strengthening our future prospects by enlarging our product portfolio with acknowledged technologies in the most attractive segments.”