Written question WQ85952
- Asked by
- Mark IsherwoodConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Economy
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 9 days
Question
What support is the Welsh Government providing for the employees of Warwick Chemicals in Mostyn, Flintshire, after its US owner said it plans to close the site?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Economy
The news of the possible site closure and redundancies is concerning.
My officials have been in contact with a representative from the parent company, Lubrizol, which confirmed a 45-day consultation is underway and is due to close on 8 October. The 145 staff are being represented by the Warwick International Staff Association (WISA) union in these discussions. We have been advised only five staff are not in WISA but are happy to follow WISA’s lead.
Lubrizol has said the market for the product produced at Mostyn – TAED, a bleach activator used in powdered laundry detergents – has declined significantly in recent years as the trend for gel-based laundry products has grown. It said the plant is dedicated to TAED manufacture and would be difficult to commercially reconfigure for other products.
My officials have outlined the range of support that can be made available directly from Welsh Government; from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the local authority, to employees if redundancies are confirmed.
DWP has advised it has not, as yet, received the HR1 notification of possible large scale redundancies.
Once the consultation is complete, we will be in a better position to understand the future and will be able to work with the company, WISA and staff, as necessary.