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Rio Tinto Alcan’s Lynemouth smelter closes its doors axing hundred of jobs
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
This week spells the end for Rio Tinto Alcan’s Lynemouth smelter as the main part of the plant closes its doors for the final time today.
About 290 workers were due to finish their last shifts this week, and many others have already left to take up other jobs or to use up holidays owed to them.
The aluminium smelter, opened 40 years ago at a cost of £54m, was given a £28m government grant back then to help it tackle unemployment in a part of Northumberland struggling to recover from a series of pit closures.
Now all that has come to an end as 515 jobs are being axed at the plant – a move some fear could have a catastrophic knock-on effect and lead to a further 2,500 jobs in the smelter’s immediate supply chain being lost too.
The closure was announced by Rio Tinto Alcan last year after it claimed no viable buyer could be found for the smelter.
The site had been the subject of a strategic review, and the multinational firm feared it would be crippled by new green taxes being phased in over the next few years. There is still hope that the adjacent power station will be sold and converted from coal to biomass, safeguarding the jobs of those employed there, however.
Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery has been campaigning for the plant to be saved, including handing a petition to Parliament backed by around 1,000 signatories, but to no avail.
The company’s regional economic development director, John McCabe, said: “This week is when the contract of employment of almost 290 people comes to an end.
Limited operations will continue in the carbon plant until the end of July and in the casting plant until the end of the year. After that, 68 workers will remain on site for the decommissioning of the plant.
Mr McCabe added that around 130 people would be interviewed by an unnamed global aluminium company which he believes is willing to take on any workers prepared to make the move to the Middle East.
About 290 workers were due to finish their last shifts this week, and many others have already left to take up other jobs or to use up holidays owed to them.
The aluminium smelter, opened 40 years ago at a cost of £54m, was given a £28m government grant back then to help it tackle unemployment in a part of Northumberland struggling to recover from a series of pit closures.
Now all that has come to an end as 515 jobs are being axed at the plant – a move some fear could have a catastrophic knock-on effect and lead to a further 2,500 jobs in the smelter’s immediate supply chain being lost too.
The closure was announced by Rio Tinto Alcan last year after it claimed no viable buyer could be found for the smelter.
The site had been the subject of a strategic review, and the multinational firm feared it would be crippled by new green taxes being phased in over the next few years. There is still hope that the adjacent power station will be sold and converted from coal to biomass, safeguarding the jobs of those employed there, however.
Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery has been campaigning for the plant to be saved, including handing a petition to Parliament backed by around 1,000 signatories, but to no avail.
The company’s regional economic development director, John McCabe, said: “This week is when the contract of employment of almost 290 people comes to an end.
Limited operations will continue in the carbon plant until the end of July and in the casting plant until the end of the year. After that, 68 workers will remain on site for the decommissioning of the plant.
Mr McCabe added that around 130 people would be interviewed by an unnamed global aluminium company which he believes is willing to take on any workers prepared to make the move to the Middle East.
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