The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Manufacturing Manufacture Of Chemicals And Pharamceuticals Manufacture Of Chemicals And Chemical Products 20 - Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
New offshoring locations
Sweden
100 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
13 February 2008
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
Description
Akzo Nobel, a multi-national firm that produces paint and coatings, has announced that it is to close its site in Darwen in Lancashire with the loss of approximately 100 jobs. Industrial paint is produced at the Darwen site and production will be ‘offshored’ to Sweden. Management at Akzo Nobel attributed the job losses to pressures within the UK manufacturing sector, and also stated that they would attempt to keep job losses as low as possible. An official from the GMB trade union said that the decision had come after a strategic review in Akzo Nobel’s head offices in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The official also stated,
‘We are bitterly disappointed at this announcement and we will fight this all the way. The jobs will not be lost without a fight. We will make it very clear that this is the wrong decision for the company… Akzo Nobel portrays itself as a socially responsible company but this will have a very negative impact on Darwen…There are few skilled jobs around and these job losses will be felt hard. We were told jobs were safe and this is a huge blow to the hard-working staff here.’
Akzo Nobel employs 62,000 internationally. As of February 2008 there is no information on when the job losses will be implemented by.
Sources
13 February 2008: BBC News
Citation
Eurofound (2008), Akzo Nobel, Offshoring/Delocalisation in United Kingdom, factsheet number 66313, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/66313.
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