270 jobs to go at car cable plant

Amicus have called for government intervention

A Llanelli car components factory is set to close with the loss of 270 jobs.

Dura Automotive said it had notified the Amicus union it proposed shutting the plant by the end of the year.

The US firm, which makes car gear boxes at a site at Bynea in the town, blamed the "very competitive environment" in the motor industry.

Enterprise minister Andrew Davies said he was seeking "an urgent meeting with the company to discuss this very disappointing decision".

Amicus regional secretary Carl Lucas said it was a "severe blow" to Llanelli and "another nail in the coffin of Welsh manufacturing."

He urged the assembly government to intervene saying it was the fourth closure he had dealt with in as many weeks.

Mr Lucas said if more plants continued to close in Wales, the manufacturing industry would become "unsustainable".

It is understood the factory, long established in the town, also produces cables for the aerospace industry.

The parent company, based in Michigan, launched a major restructuring drive back in February, with plans to close between five and 10 plants worldwide.

'Get rid'

Dura chairman Larry Denton said: "These decisions are never easy and we recognize the potential impact on our employees and the community."

I'm very surprised it's closing - it's very sad for the workers Cllr Marlay Howells

Llanelli AM Catherine Thomas is looking for an urgent meeting with the company.

She said: "We can't afford to lose that many jobs in this constituency, it will have a grave impact on the local community, local economy and those workers affected."

Mid and West Wales AM Helen Mary Jones said: "This is a huge shock and yet another body blow to Llanelli's manufacturing industry.

"This is yet another example of how easy it is to get rid of workers in Wales because they do not have the legal job protection their European equivalents enjoy."

Local councillor Marlay Howells said they were well-paid and skilled jobs.

"It's very disappointing because of the lack of industry in this area, we could do without these losses," he said.

"When they opened the new extension, we were invited to look around. It was ultra-modern and that was not many years ago. At the time they enlarged the technical side of things, so I'm very surprised it's closing - it's very sad for the workers."

The company, formerly called Bowden Controls and Adwest Bowden TSK, made around 40 job losses back in 2004, with some work moving to the Czech Republic.