Dozens lose their jobs as recycling plant closes (From Daily Echo)
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Dozens lose their jobs as DS Smith Recycling plant closes
11:10am Wednesday 9th January 2013 in Business
By Michael Carr, Reporter
The DS Smith Recycling plant at Hounsdown Business Park
DOZENS of jobs are set to go as a Hampshire recycling plant shuts its doors next month.
Thirty-three workers and 30 subcontractors working at DS Smith Recycling in Hounsdown Business Park, Totton, were called to a meeting yesterday where they were told the grim news that it would be closing on February 21.
Sources at the company told the Daily Echo the number of people losing their jobs is even higher than the official figures given by the firm.
DS Smith bought the former SCA Recycling in July last year.
It said the decision to launch a consultation with staff with a view to closing the Totton site – which recycles 120,000 tonnes of rubbish a year – was made because it was not making enough money.
In a statement, the company said it expected the position to get worse following unsuccessful attempts to find a potential buyer. They also added that the Totton site was not profitable due to high rental costs.
One worker, who did not want to be named, said that the reaction to the news was “shock and disgust”.
He said the firm had made four redundancies over the Christmas period.
The worker added: “We thought that after all the hard work before and after Christmas we would be safe.
“We feel betrayed, because everybody was under the impression that everything was hunky dory and there were even rumours that the plant was making a profit.
“There was not even anger in the room when we were told.
Everything just fell silent when we were told the news.
“I have never heard a room go so silent in all my life. We all felt shocked and disgusted.”
The bombshell came just five days after staff at the plant signed letters from head office asking them to work an extra five hours a week.
Totton South county councillor Cllr David Harrison said it was a “double whammy” for the town after 50 staff were laid off just before Christmas at Elite Transport Services in nearby Eling Wharf.
He said: “The news is a blow to Totton and also the wider area. I went on a tour of DS Smith, and it all looked to be an industry with a future.”
DS Smith Recycling has already shut plants at Croydon in south London and Basildon in Essex since it took over SCA Recycling.
Consulations on closure are also taking place at Gosport and Stoke-on-Trent, while there are plans to merge its Plymouth and Silverton depots in Devon.
Chief executive of DS Smith Recycling, Peter McGuiness said: “We are conscious that this period of consultation provides for an unsettling period for employees, especially at the Totton facility, and provision has been put in place to support staff at this difficult time.
“We are extremely grateful for the staff’s dedication and ongoing commitment to delivering a high level of service.”
Comments(16)
mastershot100
says...
12:10pm Wed 9 Jan 13
adamello
says...
12:25pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Pikey Pete
says...
12:35pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Then save the jobs..!! Elite transport can go round collecting it all.
Trouble is. The real world is in decline bigger than the politicians realise.
And unless People are bailed out and not Banks.!!
The stupid suggestions I put above. Will be taken on by politicians.
Taskforce 141
says...
1:18pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Lies lies and more lies.
More and more people are becoming unemployed, rent is going up, fuel bills going up, produce price going up but dont worry, "we are in it together"!
I put it to you that we bloody well are not in it together, the only people who will survive the next decade will be the wealthy, the rest of us are truly fracked!
loosehead
says...
1:25pm Wed 9 Jan 13
One company up North sells it to sweden another sells to China.
Watched the program about Brasil & one guy had become a millionaire by selling recycled waste to China so what's really the reason for it's closure?
They say the rents to high on that site well when they bought the company didn't they research that?
Why didn't they look for a cheaper site near by?
So Basingstoke get's more work or are they closing that site?
Bournemouth has just one £22million & has started recycling waste food ( Energy) & selling recycled goods so if they can find a market just like that how can't this company?
Or don't they want to operate here & want to centralise their activities to Basingstoke?
hulla baloo
says...
1:42pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Huey
says...
3:06pm Wed 9 Jan 13
The shipping crates are then filled with recyclable rubbish and sent back to China, because there is no point in shipping empty conatiners half way round the world.
The Chinese then use the recycled materials to make more goods to sell to to the UK.
loosehead
says...
3:12pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Huey wrote:So why can't this company who surely must know this sell it to the Chinese?
Stuff comes over from China in shipping containers to be sold.
The shipping crates are then filled with recyclable rubbish and sent back to China, because there is no point in shipping empty conatiners half way round the world.
The Chinese then use the recycled materials to make more goods to sell to to the UK.
Huey
says...
4:12pm Wed 9 Jan 13
loosehead wrote:Sell what to the Chinese?
Huey wrote: Stuff comes over from China in shipping containers to be sold. The shipping crates are then filled with recyclable rubbish and sent back to China, because there is no point in shipping empty conatiners half way round the world. The Chinese then use the recycled materials to make more goods to sell to to the UK.So why can't this company who surely must know this sell it to the Chinese?
The Chinese want unprocessed recyclable material, just like this plant, not an end product.
EarlyRiser
says...
7:45pm Wed 9 Jan 13
People pay you to take the crap in the first place, you osrt it and sell it. In what other area do you get paid to take your raw material.
i smell a rat
EarlyRiser
says...
7:46pm Wed 9 Jan 13
People pay you to take the crap in the first place, you sort it and sell it. In what other area do you get paid to take your raw material instead of having to buy it.
i smell a rat.
fact they have closed many sites tells you something
loosehead
says...
8:52pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Huey wrote:Sorry but the program I saw they want unprocessed & processed waste.
loosehead wrote:Sell what to the Chinese?
Huey wrote: Stuff comes over from China in shipping containers to be sold. The shipping crates are then filled with recyclable rubbish and sent back to China, because there is no point in shipping empty conatiners half way round the world. The Chinese then use the recycled materials to make more goods to sell to to the UK.So why can't this company who surely must know this sell it to the Chinese?
The Chinese want unprocessed recyclable material, just like this plant, not an end product.
With everything going up in price how can they not make a profit please explain that to me?
Subject48
says...
12:21pm Thu 10 Jan 13
voiceinthecrowd
says...
12:25pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Taskforce 141 wrote:Talking like a true sheep
Nice to see yet another private business picking up the shortfall due to job losses in the public sector and helping reduce are carbon footprint as per the government slur.
Lies lies and more lies.
More and more people are becoming unemployed, rent is going up, fuel bills going up, produce price going up but dont worry, "we are in it together"!
I put it to you that we bloody well are not in it together, the only people who will survive the next decade will be the wealthy, the rest of us are truly fracked!
Without the so called rich there is no money for shares therefore no money for businesses therefore unemployment.
Grow up get a life
I suspect that you are probably a union man or were.
Why do Companies go abroad YES WAGES ARE LOWER BUT THERE ARE NO B>>>>Y UNIONS to bugger it all up.
loosehead
says...
12:31pm Thu 10 Jan 13
voiceinthecrowd wrote:BAT shut us down for several reasons went to Poland where all the infrastructure was paid for by us under the guise of the EU.
Taskforce 141 wrote:Talking like a true sheep
Nice to see yet another private business picking up the shortfall due to job losses in the public sector and helping reduce are carbon footprint as per the government slur.
Lies lies and more lies.
More and more people are becoming unemployed, rent is going up, fuel bills going up, produce price going up but dont worry, "we are in it together"!
I put it to you that we bloody well are not in it together, the only people who will survive the next decade will be the wealthy, the rest of us are truly fracked!
Without the so called rich there is no money for shares therefore no money for businesses therefore unemployment.
Grow up get a life
I suspect that you are probably a union man or were.
Why do Companies go abroad YES WAGES ARE LOWER BUT THERE ARE NO B>>>>Y UNIONS to bugger it all up.
before we were shut they bought over workers to learn how to operate the machinery,
then after they shut us some went on contract to work in Poland then the Polish found out what we were paid compared to what they're paid & went on strike.
they're dearer than us but no employers NI contribution & much .much lower taxes.
the problem with this country is if the EU says you must do this we do it but no one else does
Inform Al says...
11:35am Wed 9 Jan 13