Walker quizzes Metalbox chiefs over job losses (From Worcester News)

Walker quizzes Metalbox chiefs over job losses

12:50pm Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News By Tom Edwards

WORCESTER MP Robin Walker has met bosses at a city factory where more than 100 jobs are under threat – and says major efforts are being made to find them employment.

Management at the Carnaud Metalbox factory in Perry Wood Walk, Worcester, are calling in a specialist firm to help at-risk workers find alternative jobs. As your Worcester News revealed two weeks ago, the historic packaging factory is in consultations over its future and could close down. It would put 118 people out of work, and Mr Walker met owners Crown Cork and Seal to discuss the problems.

“I had a really good chat with them and even though the outlook for the business is not good, efforts are being made to help the workforce,” he said. “There is a consultation going on with staff there and I want to make sure efforts will be made to help them find new employment, this is a very skilled workforce.

“Crown Cork is taking its responsibilities very seriously and the management are actually going over and above their statutory requirements in helping workers.

“The key is that if people do indeed find themselves unemployed, they secure new work quickly and that’s certainly my hope – a special firm is coming in there to assist them.” Metalbox opened its Perry Wood site in 1931. It was the first purpose-built open-top can works in Britain. In the past it made packaging for brands including Heinz, Cadbury, KP, Birdseye, Pepsi, Coke and Fray Bentos.

The firm has said “no decisions have been made” over a possible closure of the site, with a 90-day consultation process set to run into the spring.

Changes in the food packaging sector have led to a consistent decline in business. Crown has operations in 41 countries employing 20,700 people.