Staff on dole for Christmas
Workers at the doomed Celestica factory in Telford will face Christmas on the dole with the first redundancies due to be made in the next few weeks, it was revealed today. Workers at the doomed Celestica factory in Telford will face Christmas on the dole with the first redundancies due to be made in the next few weeks, it was revealed today. The bulk of the 665-strong workforce will be axed in December and the factory will close by March, said union leader Mark Young. He said the Amicus union had been unable to persuade bosses to keep the Priorslee site open. But they had achieved a "reasonable" redundancy package for employees. The shock news that the factory could close was broken in August. Celestica, which took over the site in 2000, was not available for comment today. Read the full story in the Shropshire Star
Workers at the doomed Celestica factory in Telford will face Christmas on the dole with the first redundancies due to be made in the next few weeks, it was revealed today.
The bulk of the 665-strong workforce will be axed in December and the factory will close by March, said union leader Mark Young.
He said the Amicus union had been unable to persuade bosses to keep the Priorslee site open. But they had achieved a "reasonable" redundancy package for employees.
The shock news that the factory could close was broken in August. Bosses blamed loss of work in a fast changing electronics market.
The factory employs 340 permanent staff and 325 temporary workers making printed circuit boards at its Castle Farm Campus site.
The Canadian-owned electronics manufacturer has already shut its factories in Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove - and closure of its Telford site will mean an end of its presence in Britain.
A 90-day consultation period has just finished. But Mr Young, regional officer for Amicus, which represents the majority of the workforce, today said the owners refused to budge.
"We've worked with the company to try to find ways of keeping work in Telford but sadly the factory will be closing next year," he said.
"There was not an awful lot that could be done because they have lost two big contracts they were bidding for.
"We have spent the time negotiating a reasonable redundancy package that will lessen the blow to the individuals.
"The factory is going down on a phased basis as contracts come to an end. It is now winding down until the middle of March."
Mr Young said the first redundancies would come into force by the end of this month, with most people gone before Christmas. The final redundancies would take place in January, February and March.
He said the Celestica closure - the latest in a series of blows for Telford, including the loss of nearly 500 jobs at the Defence Logistics Organisation - was part of a pattern across the region.
Celestica, which took over the site in 2000, was not available for comment today.
By Peter Johnson
