By Tom Barton

18 Jul, 2002

Page 11

A WREXHAM factory is to axe up to 80 jobs because of the economic downturn.

The Pirelli Cables factory, which employs around 350 people, produces cable and wires for the electricity and communications industries.

The redundancies come in the wake of 40 job losses last month, when the factory's temporary staff were laid off.

According to John Tierney, Human Resources Director, a downturn in the marketplace is the cause of the job losses.

He said: 'The redundancies are driven by a need to realign the factory and its cost structures to meet market needs.

'We had hoped to avoid job losses by managing the numbers of temporary staff, but decline in the marketplace was such that we were unable to do this.'

Union representatives expressed concern yesterday that such large numbers of temporary workers had been laid off without any consultation, but Mr Tierney said the purpose of employing people on temporary contracts was that they could be removed to adjust to market conditions.

Formerly owned by BICC, the factory was taken over by Pirelli two years ago, and according to union steward Dave Blondon - who has worked at the factory for

34 years - has been losing money since.

Mr Blondon added that, although he recognised job losses seemed to be the only way to secure the future of the company, 'a number of the lads are very disappointed and, like the union, don't want to see the jobs go'.

Pirelli Cables and Transport and General Workers Union representatives are meeting this afternoon, and unions hope to persuade the company to shed as few jobs as possible.

T&G representative Brian Apsley said: 'Our first step is to talk to the company to try and reduce the number of cuts forecast.'

'It's a shock to hear there could be as many as 80 jobs going and we will do all we can to limit this.'

Ian Lucas MP, whose constituency includes the factory, expressed his disappointment at the possible scale of the losses, and said he was upset that the company had not contacted him for help before making the announcement.

He added: 'I'll be contacting the company to see if I can help.

'I'll also contact the local authority to see what help they can give if people do have to lose their jobs.

'Unemployment in Wrexham is below three per cent, compared to a high of 20pc in the past.

'I would hope that people who are made redundant should have no trouble finding new employment in the area,' said Mr Lucas.

'What frustrates me is they haven't contacted me earlier to see if I can be of assistance.'