CRUNCH talks are set to go ahead tomorrow on the future of more than 200 jobs at a Gaerwen meat processing plant.
Welsh Country Foods, owned by Dutch firm Vion Food Group Ltd, began a 90 day consultation on Tuesday and this is expected to conclude with the relocation of the site’s retail packing department to Winsford, Cheshire.
Anglesey MP Albert Owen and Welsh Assembly Deputy Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones will take part in talks at the factory in a bid to thrash out a rescue package.
Paddy McNaught of Unite said: “There will be a meeting on Friday to see if any assistance from central government can be put forward.
“We need to look at ways to assist the company to make sure they get through this decline in the industry, to save as many jobs as we can.”
He added: “If you look at what has happened on Anglesey in the last 12 months there have been 400 jobs lost at Anglesey Aluminium, 200 lost at Eaton and other smaller companies are gone.
“A further 200 job losses will put serious pressure on an economy that has already been identified as the poorest county in the UK.”
Mr Owen added: “On Anglesey the Vion workforce accepted a pay freeze and a reduction in hours to support the company.
“Now is the time for Vion to repay that loyalty.”
A statement from Vion said: “As a consequence of this proposed re-structure, there is the possibility of more than 200 redundancies at the Gaerwen operation.”
Jose Peralta, Vion managing director, added: “The company will be consulting with the affected people and their nominated representatives to explore ways of avoiding redundancies, including transfers to other businesses within the wider company.”
Slaughter operations at the plant, which account for around 250 jobs, are expected to continue unscathed.
Meanwhile, an announcement about reported job cuts at Bangor University has been put on hold until a new vice-chancellor is appointed.
Current vice chancellor, professor Merfyn Jones, retires in October.
A spokesman said: “Like all universities, we have been considering our future academic direction and the current economic situation.
“The university will shortly be advertising for a new vice-chancellor and we will wait until the new appointment is made before specific proposals are put forward for consultation.”