By DAVID COULTER

Published at 09:38, Friday, 17 April 2009

TYNEDALE’S unemployment blackspot has suffered a further blow with the announcement that 28 jobs are to go at one of its factories.

Staff at RPC Containers, in Plenmeller Works, Haltwhistle, were told of the job cuts after the company reduced the number of weekly shifts from five to four.

The job losses followed a review of the company’s operations designed to improve cost performance in the current economic climate.

Twenty five of the redundancies were voluntary.

The move, which took effect at the beginning of April, followed three months of negotiations with the Works Council and the GMB union at the Plenmeller factory.

General manager Murray Stone said: “We very much regret the loss of jobs at Plenmeller, but it is essential that the company remains strong and able to withstand the very depressed state of the market at present.

“We are fully committed to the Plenmeller operation and believe these changes will ensure we are in the best position to take advantage of any upturn, when it eventually arrives.”

RPC Containers is Europe’s leading plastic packaging manufacturer with sites in 12 countries.

The company has pledged to offer those workers affected every assistance in securing alternative employment.

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Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk