Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Would The Last Industrial Worker In The UK Please Turn Out The Lights ?

A Wearside tyre factory, where 585 people worked, is closing its doors for the final time. In April, Goodyear Dunlop announced it was ending production at its Washington factory, a site where tyres had been produced since 1968.The company said it could no longer compete effectively with competitors in Eastern Europe and the Far East.Unions said there had been hopes that the jobs could be saved and they were disappointed at the closure.

Plans to cut 800 jobs in Devon and Cornwall as part of a china clay firm's reorganisation will hit the entire South West economy, MPs and unions say. Imerys said the changes were necessary to protect the future of its business. It is blaming high energy prices, a weak dollar and strong overseas competition for significant losses. More than 700 jobs will go in Cornwall as Imerys consolidates its operations. Up to 85 jobs will go in Devon as the company closes its pit at Lee Moor.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not to worry all those people will soon be in work as website designers, computer game developers, lifestyle coaches and so on.

Anonymous said...

Although if the government/EU didn't pile so much red tape onto industry there would be far less of these stories there would still be many. Simple economics, you can't ignore the rest of the world and attempting to with crude protectionism is a quick route to the poor house.

Anonymous said...

"Simple economics, you can't ignore the rest of the world and attempting to with crude protectionism is a quick route to the poor house".

Down with "crude protectionism". Lets all take the slow route!

Alfie said...

Yes, but we'll have all those great service sector jobs to take their place........ Even now, I can hear the suitcases in Warsaw getting dusted down from the top of thousands of wardrobes.....

Serf said...

Brown Field Sites have a new meaning.

Brown has increased the burden on business so much that they are cannot compete.