Paper mill considering job cuts

A paper mill in north Kent could close with the loss of 127 jobs, it has been revealed.

ArjoWiggins, which has a plant in Dartford and two mills in the Czech Republic and Belgium, has said it plans to restructure one of its divisions.

It said a consultation with staff and unions on the future of the Dartford plant, which would look at alternatives to closure, would run until February.

MP for Dartford, Dr Howard Stoate, said he was bitterly disappointed.

A statement from the company said the consultation would look at steps to avoid or reduce redundancies, and ways in which the effects of any redundancy could be mitigated.

There are currently 127 employees at the mill in Priory Road.

Belgian activities

Dartford Mill manager Frederic Lang said: "As a consequence of the worsening of market conditions, we will be entering a period of uncertainty for our staff, their families and our local sub-contractors, and we must stress what a difficult decision this was to make.

"We recognise the loyalty and dedication of our employees who have performed to their highest ability, even during the recent downturn in business."

He said the move followed poor recent financial performance and outlook, and the company now planned to streamline manufacturing and concentrate its activities in Belgium.

The mill would operate as normal during the consultation, he added.

If no alternative to closure is found, it is envisaged that production will end at the end of April 2009, Mr Lang said.

He said the company had invested significantly in the mill in the past four years, and had worked to protect jobs.

Dr Stoate said the plant's product, non-carbon copy paper, was now obsolete.

"This decision ends 150 years of paper making on this site and I will be bitterly sad to see it all end," he said.

"Not only is it a huge blow to 127 people who work here and their families but it couldn't come at a worse time, in the run-up to Christmas."

ArjoWiggins is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sequana group, which manufactures and distributes paper.

There has been a mill on the site since 1862.

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