Hundreds of Swansea jobs at risk as bosses confirm two factories will close
In a devastating blow to the local economy, two Swansea based companies have confirmed their intention to close operations in Gorseinon, resulting in a loss of some 300 jobs.
Toyoda Gosei, which supplies body sealing components for major car manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, and Aston Martin, announced this week its intention to close down its UK operations, jeopardising over 200 jobs in Gorseinon and another 250 at its Rotherham plant.
The decision is in response to “continued changes in the global automotive sector, and a significant reduction in key UK customer demand.”
The proposal, which will impact 228 staff on the site, is set to be implemented from the end of 2022 and on into 2023 and will mark the end of a ten-year relationship with the area.
Redundant
3M, a familiar part of the Swansea skyline and longstanding employer, has also confirmed that it will be closing its plant on Gorseinon Road, with the loss of a further 89 jobs.
Managing director of 3M, north Europe region, Lars Hanseid said: “Alternative strategies have now been explored and it has been confirmed that 89 positions will be made redundant.”
The company claims that the the plant, which is its oldest manufacturing facility outside the US, has suffered from ongoing underutilisation of the site impacted by changes in the markets it serves, namely the personal care industry, the collision aftermarket and vehicle repair centres
It aims to relocate its manufacturing operations to existing 3M facilities worldwide over the course of the next 24 months.
Worrying
Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for Economy said in a statement, “This is clearly disappointing news for the area and will be a worrying time for workers at both companies, their families and the local community and we are ready to do all we can to support staff affected by these decisions.
“Details of the support available through the Working Wales and ReAct programmes have been made available to both companies and we remain in ongoing contact with the companies to support staff impacted by the decisions, working in close collaboration with the local authority.”
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Brexit? Most probably, as Europe has 2 newish 3M plants in Poland at least. By the way
not saying Brexit alone, as Poland has sucked jobs from us even when we were in EU.
Remember Hotpoint? Own light industry, in partnership with Universities, is what Cymru needs. Enticing International firms is a big risk, and has been for some time.
In the end these companies are operating a business to make a profit. They will not keep their operations going out of philanthropy.
That’s how it always was and will be. Lots of 2nd division Japanese component and sub assembly manufacturers arrived to feed the big Japanese brands in automotive and consumer electronics sectors. As some of those big brands have retreated so too the 2nd division outfits have withdrawn. The situation in automotive supply chains is more complicated with major marques – Toyota, Nissan, maybe Honda ( or what’s left of it) continually playing national governments off against each other in attempts to continue the grant and soft loan gravy train. It appears that International Capitalism can’t exist without State handouts yet… Read more »
Never mind. Whitehall loves what’s occuring, as it makes already poor areas even more deprived, which inturn cements our dependency on Central Government benefit handouts. And sure, other factors are at play , but Brexit is the main catalyst. I’m waiting for the magic words for our Tory overlords in Westminster: “We will seek to retrain those facing job loses in those areas of South West Wales.” So basically, the Tories will do absolutely nothing as it’s Wales. See, it’s a sport to them. Our poverty. And they’ll secretly say over a glass of wine during their Cobra meeting. “Well,… Read more »
We don’t need useless verbiage from an assembly member, we need practical solutions