Thirty nine workers to lose jobs as Cumbrian factory shuts
Last updated at 11:42, Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Almost 40 people are set to lose their jobs after a Brampton manufacturing plant announced it is closing.
Bpi.films, based on the Townfoot Industrial Estate, broke the news to shocked staff at a special meeting yesterday morning.
All 39 staff at the site are likely to be made redundant following a 30-day redundancy consultation, with bosses at the national firm claiming the economic downturn is behind the decision.
And workers – some of whom have been based at the site for 30 years – told the News & Star that the announcement had come “out of the blue”.
One of the site’s longest-serving employees said: “The order books are full – or so we’ve been told. This is out of the blue.
“There’s no more jobs in Cumbria, we’re all gutted.”
Another worker, who didn’t want to be named, said: “They brought us in for a meeting and they lined up pallets for us all to sit on with the machines still going, so we couldn’t hear the gentleman speak. I feel very insulted about the way it’s been done, lined up in the warehouse to be told we’d lost our jobs.
“It’s a big hit for a small place like Brampton to lose 40 jobs. There aren’t four more jobs in Brampton, let alone 40.”
Staff at the site were sent home after being handed the devastating news, but were expected to return to work today. But, in the face of yesterday’s announcement, employees said that morale among them was now “very low”.
Craig Mason, group personnel manager for British Polythene Industries PLC – bpi.films’ parent company – was the man who attended the site to break the news to staff.
He said: “We asked them [the staff] to go home because obviously with the bad news that’s been given to them we didn’t think it was safe or in their interests to continue work.
“This site lost a lot of money last year and is forecast to lose a lot of money this year as well. It’s with regret and reluctance we’ve not really been left with any other alternative because of the financial situation.
“Until we’ve discussed things with the employees there isn’t any more detail.”
A statement released by the company following the announcement said: “The performance of the Brampton site, part of the bpi films business, has been marginal for several years but experienced a significant deterioration in 2009 due to lower volumes.
“The general economic downturn makes its unlikely that trading will improve in the foreseeable future. It is proposed that production currently undertaken at Brampton will be transferred elsewhere within the bpi group of companies.”
Mr Mason confirmed that, should staff wish, it may be possible for them to transfer to another job within BPI, though there are no other sites in the local area.
The site has now entered a consultation period and no date for it to close has been set.
First published at 11:25, Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
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just like the rest of the private sector jobs that have been lost under this useles gov,there ill be given no help.
i wonder if he private sector workers will dance on the graves of blair and brown which the miners have promised to do when maggie dies
Posted by red white and blue on 13 January 2010 at 14:40