220 jobs hang in the balance at Alcan

According to Alcan, declining demand in flexible food packaging and the increasing cost of raw materials have led to the closure. The company's announcement follows that of food packaging company Amcor, which closed its Bristol factory in April (Packaging News, April 2006).

The Midsomer Norton site employs 218 people, all of whom would be affected by the its planned closure at the end of 2006. Alcan said it will continue to supply the UK market from other sites.

Christophe Deslarzes, Alcan's senior vice-president of human resources, said the company would try to "find the best solutions for the affected employees". However, a company spokeswoman told Packaging News that while "transfer to other Alcan sites will be created where possible, such possibilities will be limited".

Most of the machinery at the site, which was built in the 1960s, will be scrapped and the money made from the sale of the land will be used to cover closure costs.

Amicus reacted angrily to the proposed closures and has questioned Alcan's rationale for the cutbacks. Peter Ellis, Amicus's national officer for the GPM paper and packaging sector, said: "This is a blow to our members, their families and to the packaging and paper industry in the south-west. Our members are angry and bitter at this proposal."

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