Member Article

Teesside takes hit for US plants

Unions have reacted furiously to the closure of a Teesside chemical plant with the loss of more than a hundred jobs. They say the North East part of the business has been abandoned in favour of retaining two sites in the US.

London-based Elementis announced the closure of its chromium plant in Urlay Nook, near Eaglescliffe, which is the only factory of its type in the UK. The plant, which employs 135 people, will close despite the company making group profits of £52m last year, up 36 per cent, and reporting a rise in profits in its chromium division of 96 per cent to £27.7m.

The other two sites in its chromium division, in southern Texas and North Carolina, in the US, will remain open at the expense of the Teesside plant, which will close in a phased shutdown beginning at the end of June.

Elementis said the decision was taken because it could no longer be certain of the long-term cash flow and profitability of the Teesside plant.

Bob Bolam, regional organiser for the Unite union, said: “I am absolutely disgusted at this decision.

“This is a British-owned company which is abandoning Britain and the jobs of British people in favour of retaining its two sites in the US.

“There are 135 people who will now have to try and find another job when this region is already overstretched for employment. This has come as yet another blow to Teesside and the North East. We are bitterly disappointed.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .