65 Plymouth manufacturing jobs set to go
ELECTRONICS firm X-Fab is likely to make 65 workers redundant at its Roborough factory after it failed to receive enough orders for one of its high-tech products.
The firm's finance director Chris Bailey said: "It's regrettable but we had to do this."
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Workers are expected to leave their jobs in August.
The semiconductor manufacturer, which employs 234 people at its Tamerton Road plant, said the job losses were not recession related but had been planned for two years.
That's when the firm decided to stop making its six-inch silicon wafers, used in electronics, deciding to concentrate on an eight-inch model instead because of 'difficulties' maintaining both lines.
But orders for the larger model have "not increased sufficiently to require all the staff on site to be retained".
All orders for the six-inch wafers, used in medical and automotive technology, will be filled by the end of August.
Mr Bailey said the expected job losses would fall across the business, including engineers and clerical staff.
But the firm said the numbers and timescale for the redundancies may change if orders for either the six-inch or eight-inch wafers are received before late August.
The X-Fab job losses add to a growing list of redundancies in Plymouth, many in the manufacturing sector.
Last month, Princess Yachts made 317 workers jobless, while electronics giant Toshiba is to axe 270 jobs at its Ernesettle factory by the end of next month.
Earlier this month, bosses at Kawasaki Precision Machinery (KPM UK), also in Ernesettle, said 50 jobs are at risk among its 273 staff, after the recession slashed turnover by more than a third.
And, this month too, Estover-based ball-bearing maker the Barden Corporation (UK) Ltd revealed it had started a consultation period likely to result in the loss of up to 35 jobs.
Job losses are not restricted to manufacturing, however, with the Plymouth and South West Co-operative Society today confirming that 90 jobs are at risk in its head office, in Derrys department store, following a merger with the huge Co-operative group.
Plymouth's X-Fab plant is one of five, the others are in USA, Malaysia and two in Germany.
Based at the former Mitel and Plessey site, it bought the premises in 2003 from Zarlink Semiconductor, a Canadian-owned business which now leases a unit from X-Fab and at the time was its main client.
Much of X-Fab's work comes from the car industry but it also supplies components for hearing aids and pacemakers. Sales are worldwide, with most coming from Europe and USA.
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by Mick is a w**k*r, .
Friday, June 19 2009, 7:51PM
“Mick barbican says "robert you are an absolute twonk with no understanding at all. "
People in glass houses.........”
by Boris Napper, Eddystone lighthouse
Friday, June 19 2009, 2:38PM
“Robert, Nederlands,
De spijker op de kop slaan.Er zit bij hem een steekje los.”
by robert, the netherlands
Friday, June 19 2009, 2:25PM
“Don't get me wrong Mark. A mortgage to buy a house is perfectly normal (provided for a sensible amount).
Its the consumptive spending on credit that has fuelled the economic crisis as well as sub-prime mortgages in the US.
It is very sad when people lose their jobs, whether it is because of bad management, inefficient processes, or the general economic climate.
It is when these situations arise that a great deal of people look to blame someone else without analysing there own actions.
Every borrowed penny must be paid back at a certain moment and also the interest on the debt must be serviced.
I commiserate with people who face unemployment and hope that they will see better times in the not to distant future.”
by Mick, The Barbican
Friday, June 19 2009, 1:18PM
“robert you are an absolute twonk with no understanding at all. Hows about now that I've lost my job as I'm completely selfish, you send me some money to pay for my mortage? absolute rubbish.”
by robert, the netherlands
Friday, June 19 2009, 11:32AM
“Why do you all seem to think that Plymouth is suffering more than other areas.
Here in Holland it is the same story and governments cannot solve the problem.
We have all played a part in this recession by taking part in the ME,ME,WANT WANT society.
Purchasing on borrowed money etc. etc.
Expecting large pay increases without increased efficiency and production.
Can you blame companies for transferring production to lower cost countries in order to compete.
Banks are not financing to modernise so what other option is there.
None of it is so black and white as many seem to think.
Look in the mirror every day and ask yourself "have I really worked hard all day and really earned my money ?"'.
I'm not criticising everybody but the picture is wider than many think.”
by Druid_uk, Up North
Friday, June 19 2009, 10:54AM
“I worked here for a while and it is sad to hear about the losses. No mention of the higher yields at the Plymouth site than the Kuching plant (malaysia) where alot of the processes have been shipped off to. Unfortunately it looks like the axe will fall on the rest of the jobs soon. The semiconductor industry in this country has been wiped out through greed and quantity over quality!
Good luck guys in Front End.”
by The Grim Reaper, The Hereafter
Friday, June 19 2009, 10:35AM
“Never even heard of them 'till now!!!”
by Angry and Saddened, Plymouth
Friday, June 19 2009, 6:45AM
“My partner has worked for this company for many years and he's seen it change hands, and been threatenened with redundancy on numerous occasions! He is 'lucky' he is still with them, for now! What chance does he have of finding a job he is skilled to do in Plymouth if he is made redundant? Job are hard enough to come by as it is. This recession started to hit my domestic cleaning business initially 2 years ago, it dwindled to near on nothing within 6 months and I closed my business when it started to become a loss maker. Our family has experienced this recession from various angles and it seems this rollercoaster of a ride is about to hit another dip......I blame the government.....too busy lining their own pockets to see what's happening in the real world. Good luck to all the guys and girls @ X Fab.”
by Long Departed Ex-Employee, Overseas
Thursday, June 18 2009, 11:18PM
“So sad to see this story. I found this place was (and I am sure still is) a great place to work. The factory was/is full of smart and hard working people who do not deserve to have this hanging over their heads. I went through all five employer names during my time (Plessey/GPS/Mitel/Zarlink/XFAB) and cannot believe another change is on the cards. Good luck lads - you deserve better.”
by Mikey, Plympton
Thursday, June 18 2009, 10:11PM
“Is always sad when jobs are under pressure. Anyone remember Texas Instruments, Murata, Nortel? Global companies will seek to protect market position and everything that goes with this in Country of Origin firstly, and foremost. They will switch to the cheapest source of exactly where they need to be at a moment in time. We do need to remember that Plymouth is far removed from Silicon Valley. Is only a distribution hub far removed even from Bristol/London. Life is full of reality, this is certainly not great however.”