Confirmation of Tax Office cuts

HMRC has now confirmed the closure of 9 Tax and Customs offices across Wales, at the expense of 370 staff. Two in Chester will close affecting a further 100 staff.

Details...

Offices closing:

• Crown Buildings, Aberystwyth
• Tŷ Glyn, Bangor
• Government Buildings, Brecon
• Tremains House, Bridgend
• Tŷ Myrddin, Carmarthen
• Government Buildings, Haverfordwest
• Custom House, Pembroke Dock
• Tŷ'r Felin, Pontypool
• Llys Anwyl, Rhyl

Solar Panel maker closes Valleys plant

120 staff at Kingspan Thermomax in Blackwood (nr. Tredegar) could face redundancy as the solar heating panel manufacturer is expected to move production to their Northern Irish headquarters.

Staff have apparently been given the option of re-location.

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400 Tax Office Jobs to go?

Union bosses fear the shake up of Tax Offices across Wales (see earlier post) could result in 400 redundancies.

An announcement is expected later today.

300 Call Centre Staff 'Re-trained and Re-deployed'

Directory enquiries service 118-118 has announced the closure of one of its call centres in Cardiff. Staff will be offered the chance to relocate to one of its other offices in Cardiff or Swansea.

300 staff will be affected by the closure. We'll have to wait to see how many take up the offer of relocation.

Hoover Meeting

Two meetings are being organised to discuss the proposed 337 redundancies at the Hoover factory, as well as other job losses in the region.

Wednesday 10th December at 7.30pm Glebeland ClubGlebeland StMerthyr

Thursday 11th December at 7.30pm Royal HotelSt Mary's StreetCardiff

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Aluminium jobs at risk

The future of 450 workers at Novelis Aluminum works is up in the air after bosses spent yesterday talking to union chiefs about how to cope with falling demand.

Executives from the Swiss based company were at the plant in Rogerstone, Newport to discuss making the plant a viable operation, but they refused to rule out closure.

The plant's closure would be another substantial blow to manufacturing in South Wales.

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Rhodri Morgan urged to help save jobs

While yesterday's announcements by Credit Suisse, HSBC and Halfords should have only a limited impact in South Wales, an announcement is expected later this week on the future of 10 HMRC offices in Wales.

Among those likely to be affected are offices in Brecon, Bridgend, Merthyr and Pontypool (...EU Objective One areas).

In anticipation of this announcement PCS Regional Organiser Jeff Evans has written to Rhodri Morgan saying...

"“We urge WAG to do everything it can to press the case for the retention of these offices and to avert a potentially calamitous decision to close them.

Many of these offices are based in some of our most deprived communities.

The impact of the office closures will be felt more widely than the individuals employed there. It will also impact on local businesses and services at a difficult time.

It is perplexing that a UK Government department should be removing Government jobs from our poorest communities in contrast to your Government, which is doing the reverse.”