Ripple effect fear over Teesside chemical plant closures (From The Northern Echo)

Ripple effect fear over Teesside chemical plant closures

10:46am Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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UNION leaders voiced dismay today at plans to close two chemical plants with the loss of more than 200 jobs, warning of a devastating effect on local communities.

The jobs will be axed on Teesside after the Dow Chemical Company said it planned to shut its ethylene oxide and glycol (EOEG) production facility at Wilton, while Croda International said it was being forced to close its neighbouring plant, which uses raw materials supplied by Dow.

Unite warned that the closures, due by the end of January 2010, could have a ripple effect across the chemical industry, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

National officer Phil McNulty said the Wilton plant should not be shut, adding: "It cannot be stressed enough that this plant stands at the heart of a strategic business for the UK.

"Unite is working day and night to find a solution to this threatened closure because its loss would be devastating.

"This plant doesn't just provide skilled work for hundreds of people in Teesside where decent jobs are becoming scarce, but the product it produces is also vital to the enduring success of the UK chemical sector."