Newport workers 'in limbo' over redundancy threat

8:56am Friday 9th May 2008

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A DELAYED consultation on possible job cuts is leaving International Rectifier employees feeling in limbo,one worker says.

The company has said it cannot give a date for when it will tell its employees plans for cost savings at its Newport plant on Cardiff Road.

A spokeswoman would also not tell the Argus how many redundancies it may make.

The employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said himself and his colleagues feel left in the dark.

"The atmosphere is very bad at the moment, we feel like we've been left in limbo," he said.

"We don't know whether to book holidays because we don't know whether we will still be here in the next few months.

"On the other hand people aren't sure whether to look for other work. There are a few who have been offered other positions but now don't know whether to take them up."

He said the company has asked employees for cost saving ideas.

"But we don't want to suggest anything because we don't know how many jobs it might save," said the worker.

A spokeswoman for IR said a consultation period on cost savings had been originally planned to finish on May 2, but has been extended.

"At the moment I can't give a date for when the consultation will end," she said.

He said management had previously stated between 20 and 100 people could lose their jobs at the plant, although IR would not give a figure for possible redundancies.

Currently 551 people are employed at the plant.