UK union protests Nobel chem closure, job losses

17 October 2008 20:10  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--The UK’s Unite labour union on Friday protested the planned closure of a nitrocellulose plant by Nobel Enterprises Limited at Ardeer in Ayrshire, Scotland.

 

The closure resulted in 90 job losses, according to the union.

 

"The news will come as a hammer-blow to our members on site and will affect the wider community where these job losses will have serious economic and social consequences,” said regional union organiser Andy Macfarlane.

 

Nobel Enterprises could not immediately be reached for comment.

 

According to Unite, the company planned to close the plant by the end of December due to competition and continuing losses.

 

Other chemicals and plastics producers, including Sabic, Clariant and Wavin recently also announced plant closures and job cuts at their operations in the UK.

 

Nobel Enterprises, formerly a free-standing business unit within ICI, was acquired in 2002 by Troon Investments, a subsidiary of Japan’s industrial group Inabata.

 

ICI, for its part, was acquired earlier this year by Netherlands-based paints and coatings major AkzoNobel.

 

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

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