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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Job losses as company relocates | Job losses as company relocates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Around 250 jobs are being lost at a factory manufacturing car parts at Maesteg, south Wales. | Around 250 jobs are being lost at a factory manufacturing car parts at Maesteg, south Wales. |
| Cooper Standard Automotives plans to close its plant by December 2007, transferring the work to France and Poland, according to Bridgend Council. | Cooper Standard Automotives plans to close its plant by December 2007, transferring the work to France and Poland, according to Bridgend Council. |
| In a statement, the council said it understood the reason for the planned closure was reduced customer demand. | In a statement, the council said it understood the reason for the planned closure was reduced customer demand. |
| The council and the Welsh Assembly Government said they were "disappointed" to learn of the closure. | The council and the Welsh Assembly Government said they were "disappointed" to learn of the closure. |
| Bridgend Council leader, Councillor Cheryl Green, said: "This is sad news for the employees and their families. | Bridgend Council leader, Councillor Cheryl Green, said: "This is sad news for the employees and their families. |
| "Basically jobs are being moved elsewhere in Europe and this is happening unfortunately all over now," she added. | "Basically jobs are being moved elsewhere in Europe and this is happening unfortunately all over now," she added. |
| "This is just the last in a series of manufacturing jobs that have been lost in the Bridgend area over the last number of years." | "This is just the last in a series of manufacturing jobs that have been lost in the Bridgend area over the last number of years." |
| The council said 246 employees would be affected by the closure. | The council said 246 employees would be affected by the closure. |
| The company once employed 600 people but has been scaling down for the past 18 months. | The company once employed 600 people but has been scaling down for the past 18 months. |
| An assembly government spokesperson said: "Officials from the Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks have supported the company in a number of areas over the years. | An assembly government spokesperson said: "Officials from the Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks have supported the company in a number of areas over the years. |
| "More recently (the officials) have been in dialogue with them regarding the identification and implementation of cost-savings measures through a series of improvement initiatives. | "More recently (the officials) have been in dialogue with them regarding the identification and implementation of cost-savings measures through a series of improvement initiatives. |
| "We are very disappointed with this announcement and will continue to work closely with both the company and the employees to look at what further support can be provided." | "We are very disappointed with this announcement and will continue to work closely with both the company and the employees to look at what further support can be provided." |
| We need support in Maesteg badly to recover from this sort of position Councillor William Teesdale | We need support in Maesteg badly to recover from this sort of position Councillor William Teesdale |
| Ms Green said the council would also be doing all it could to help by working with the company and other partners to form a redundancy response team. | Ms Green said the council would also be doing all it could to help by working with the company and other partners to form a redundancy response team. |
| The team would informing those directly affected about alternative job opportunities, training options, benefits and other support. | The team would informing those directly affected about alternative job opportunities, training options, benefits and other support. |
| Ms Green said the company was a "big employer" in the area. | Ms Green said the company was a "big employer" in the area. |
| "There's going to be a big impact on some families - you might even get some families with up to four people working at that plant," she said. | "There's going to be a big impact on some families - you might even get some families with up to four people working at that plant," she said. |
| The plant is in a division of the global company manufacturing weather seals for car windows and doors. | The plant is in a division of the global company manufacturing weather seals for car windows and doors. |
| Bridgend councillor William Teesdale, whose Maesteg West ward includes the factory, said: "It's quite a blow. It's a lot of jobs going in a town of this size. | Bridgend councillor William Teesdale, whose Maesteg West ward includes the factory, said: "It's quite a blow. It's a lot of jobs going in a town of this size. |
| "We need support in Maesteg badly to recover from this sort of position. These are jobs that people don't have to travel for." | "We need support in Maesteg badly to recover from this sort of position. These are jobs that people don't have to travel for." |
| 'Job blow' | |
| The Welsh Conservatives' economic development spokesman Alun Cairns said the job losses were worrying. | |
| He added: "This is terrible news. It's yet another job blow to a community that depends on these sort of jobs in the manufacturing sector. | |
| "This is extremely worrying because it takes us beyond the number of 3,000 manufacturing jobs lost since the WDA were wound up earlier this year. | |
| "If this pattern continues our manufacturing sector won't exist for much longer." | |
| Responding to Mr Cairns' claim 3,000 jobs have been lost since the WDA was merged into the assembly government, Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies said: "Official figures show employment in Wales is at a record high, including many hi-tech jobs. | |
| "However, we do not take any job losses lightly." |