50 quarry jobs face the axe

Aug 28 2008 by Gwenno Gwilym, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald

FIFTY slate quarry jobs are hanging in the balance due to a slump in the construction industry.

The company in charge of four North Wales quarries confirmed it has been forced to seek up to 50 redundancies, affecting the workforce at Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bethesda quarries.

Welsh Slate, the company in charge of the Gloddfa Ganol and Cwt y Bugail quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Penrhyn in Bethesda and Pen yr Orsedd in Nantlle aim to reduce its workforce through voluntary redundancies and early retirements, and is hopeful that any compulsory job losses can be avoided.

Managing director Alan Smith said: “The global economic downturn has caused a slowdown in the construction industry and the company must respond to this change in market conditions to protect the long-term future of Welsh Slate and its employees.

“We will do everything possible to ensure that the necessary reduction in staffing numbers can be achieved through a voluntary redundancy programme and offer whatever support and assistance we can to staff during this difficult period.”

Colin Williams, Unite branch secretary for Bethesda and Blaenau, said: “We were kind of expecting the news, we could see that the product was not being sold and was piling up in the yard – we weren’t expecting it to be as much as 50 redundancies though.

“We will try to get that figure down during the 30-day consultation with the company and we hope that most of the redundancies will be voluntary.

“We all understand, what with the present economic climate – it all just has a knock on effect.”

The Bethesda-based firm currently employs 285 people and operates as the principal supplier of traditional Welsh slate roofing and building products.

Welsh Slate has a turnover of approximately £27m every year and has provided paving for the Welsh Assembly Government building in Cardiff Bay as well as material for the Hafod Eryri cafe on the top of Snowdon.

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