STAFF at a Newport technology firm have been scathing in their condemnation of the decision from the UK business secretary to block its takeover - putting 600 jobs at risk.

Last week, business secretary Grant Shapps blocked the sale of microchip firm Newport Wafer Fab to a Chinese-owned company on national security grounds.

The company is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of semiconductors, but there were concerns over its reported £63 million purchase by Nexperia, a company said to be linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

In July 2021, Nexperia bought a further 86 per cent of shares in Newport Wafer Fab, taking its total shareholding to 100 per cent.

There is a similar Nexperia facility near Manchester which has not been subject to such action from the UK Government.

In an exclusive series of interviews, staff at the Newport site have spoken to the Argus about what they see as the "shocking, frustrating, unfathomable and invalid" decision made in Westminster.

A decision, they say, made without a single ministerial visit to the site and which could scupper potential plans for a 1,000-job expansion.

David Kent, new product introduction manager, has worked at the site for 26 years and "enjoyed every moment".

South Wales Argus:

"Everyone was shocked last week," he said.

"It was as if someone had died.

"No-one saw it coming. It doesn’t pass any kind of sanity test.

"We’re not dealing with high-end tech, we make switches – the stuff in phone chargers and lightbulbs.

"It deals with how to get the power from the socket to your device without it blowing up."

Mr Kent said that, to date, the workforce in Newport felt like they had not been listened to or represented in any coverage of the matter.

He said that, such was the expense required to fun a facility such as the one in Newport - its yearly fuel bill alone runs to £20 millon - "you either need deep pockets of to make a lot of what you make".

"We are pawns in a political game," he said.

"No-one [from the UK Government] has come to the site. We’d love to have them here.

"Six hundred jobs are at risk here.

"What is the government plan?"

Tony Hill, equipment engineering manager, said he was "frustrated" at the news.

"It’s like telling a reporter how to be a reporter. I shouldn’t do that," he said.

"Who in the government has the experience needed to make this decision. They believe they understand what ‘could’ go on here. We’re a million miles from that.

"For the government to think we’re being stopped by Nexperia. In truth it’s the other way around.

"If everyone gets laid off, then there will be nothing here.

"How have non-tech people been allowed to do this?

"The government think we can’t be trusted with the intellectual property (IP).

"It’s a kick in the teeth for the workforce. An insult."

Linda Wainfur has worked at the site for 38 years and came in on her day off to speak to the Argus.

South Wales Argus:

The defectivity technician said: "I’ve worked hard, I’ve had a good wage.

"I want other people to be able to do the same. I’ve had 38 years, let me hand that on to the next person, let them have a job, a family."

Ms Wainfur said that Nexperia had been a "breath of fresh air" but that now staff felt as though "we've had the rug pulled from under us".

"I can’t believe the government would want to shut it down," she said.

"They go on about securing employment in the UK and they’re on about taking this away.

"If it’s ok for England [Manchester], why is it not ok for Wales? It should be the same for everyone."

At the other end of the timescale in terms of length of service, Justin Pugh - facilities, projects and site services manager - joined the company last June.

"We’ve been blindsided by the decision last week," he said.

"The investment from Nexperia was a serious statement of intent.

"This decision is baffling to me. Unfathomable."

Mr Pugh said that, if IP was going to leave this site, "it would’ve gone already".

He said the decision from Mr Shapps seemed to have been based "on hypotheticals".

"The Welsh Government approved the sale to Nexperia and there has been radio silence since then," he added.

Mr Pugh's son also started working at the site six months ago on a graduate placement.

"His permanency is now in doubt," Mr Pugh said.

"His contract is up in two weeks’ time.

"It’s amateurish."

He also revealed that Nexperia had floated the idea to potentially create two more 'fabs' on the site.

The units would cost around £250 million to build and would potentially create around 1,000 jobs.

"This expansion is what the government could be blocking," he said.

Mariola Wollny joined the company in 2014 and was made a permanent member of staff two and a half years later.

"There is now much greater job security. I feel like I’m rewarded for all the work I’m doing," she said.

"Everything was looking so positive. So many doors opening.

"It’s extremely sad to see this decision. So many steps forward, but this is taking us backwards."

However, she said the news had united everyone in the face of adversity.

Dennis Knight, principal engineer, has been at the site since 1987 and has seen it all.

"I’ve seen us go from having 30 per cent pay rises, into administration and back again," he said.

"Unless we belong to a big company, we fail.

"This decision is geo-political, nothing to do with what we do here.

"There is no security risk. If there were no security issues when the place was sold, why is there one now?"

He said a delegation of staff was planning on travelling to Westminster to put their case to Grant Shapps himself.

"Is hundred jobs here are at risk," he said.

"There is a complete disregard for these jobs, people’s families and the Welsh economy.

"The government have created the environment for the company to fail.

"I grew up in the Valleys during the miners’ strikes. I know what can happen."

Mary Curtis has also been at the firm for a while, 35 years, and now works programme manager in the NPI team.

South Wales Argus:

"We’ve faced redundancy and closure at times, but there was usually a legitimate reason," she said.

"This time it’s knocked everyone off their feet.

"It’s not valid. It’s based on ‘ifs, buts and maybes’.

"One of our staff, who was granted a VISA to work here, faces being deported.

"What are the government hoping to get out of this? The Welsh Government are just sitting on the sidelines."

Announcing the sale had been blocked last week, a UK Government spokesperson said the decision had been made "to prevent against potential national security risks".