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Stainless steel giant set to axe jobs
FIFTY jobs are being axed at Outokumpu's Sheffield melting shop, four months after the stainless steel giant announced it was closing its thin strip business at Meadowhall with the loss of 230 jobs.
The Finnish-owned firm says it wants to cut the number of shifts worked at the Tinsley melting shop from 18 to 15 a week, reducing the number of people working there from 290 to 240.
The total workforce at the Shepcote Lane plant numbers around 600.
A spokesman for the firm said: "This proposal is necessary as a direct response to the current depressed market situation for stainless steel.
"It is anticipated approximately 50 job reductions would take place over the course of the coming months.
"The company will provide extensive support to attempt to avoid any personal hardship that may be caused to employees."
Steve Stacey, regional director of the steelworkers' union Community, said he was "saddened" by the announcement.
"Union representatives are in consultation with the company to mitigate the need for compulsory redundancies," he said. "We will be supporting our members throughout the 30-day consultation period."
Last month Outokumpu announced a total of 450 jobs were to go in Sweden, along with a further 350 global head office jobs, and warned of more job cuts at plants worldwide.
Chief executive Juha Rantanen blamed weakening demand and worse-than-expected fourth quarter figures for the cuts.
Attercliffe MP Clive Betts, whose ward covers the melting shop, said it was "very concerning" news "obviously most of all for those people whose livelihoods are to be affected".
He promised to do all he could to help those people who found themselves out of work as a result.
Both Mr Betts and MP David Blunkett, whose neighbouring ward is Brightside, said the one light on the horizon was the firm's competitive edge in Europe and the US because of the falling value of the pound.
But Mr Blunkett said: "This news is another blow following the earlier redundancies announced last year."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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