WORKERS at one of York’s key employers are facing a nerve-wracking run-up to Christmas as the axe hovers over 75 jobs.

Bosses at Huntington-based Portakabin have confirmed they are set to make their second wave of redundancies this year, as the construction industry struggles in the face of the recession.

The plant’s 600-plus staff discovered this week their positions are under threat and a 30-day consultation process is now under way – with workers saying the news has left them “completely on edge”.

It comes after Portakabin announced 80 redundancies earlier this year, shortly after part of its workforce downed tools for an early and enforced Christmas holiday as the firm drew up a plan of action to combat its problems.

One worker told The Press: “We had a feeling something was wrong and the company was struggling for orders, but now everybody is going to be completely on edge towards Christmas because nobody knows yet where these jobs are going to go.

“People have got young families and now they’ll be left wondering whether their jobs will survive.

“Managers have told us the economic climate is still bad and they can’t see it getting better for quite a while – the work hasn’t been coming in at all, so it’s a question of whether this will mostly affect office staff or the workers on the manufacturing side.

“While some of us almost expected another round of cuts, there is a lot of fear around now it’s been announced and the atmosphere is terrible – we’re all on tenterhooks yet again.”

Portakabin, owned by the York-based Shepherd Group, employs around 1,300 people across the UK and Europe, but the hub of the family-owned operation is at Huntington.

A spokesman for the company said: “The recession has caused a significant downturn in most sectors of the UK economy and consequently in modular building opportunities, as well as in the wider traditional construction market. These trading conditions are likely to continue for some time and we have had to take further steps to reduce costs which will potentially lead to a redundancy programme, with up to 75 positions affected.

“The consultation period has commenced with effect from October 14.”

The Unite union, which represents many Portakabin workers, was unavailable for comment.


Fresh drive to help building industry

THE dark jobs news from Portakabin means efforts to revive North Yorkshire’s building industry must be redoubled.

That’s the view of City of York Council leader Andrew Waller, who also urged any axed workers to use local support strategies set up to help people through the credit crunch mire.

“It emphasises the need to get construction going and that we need to get investment into sites around York,” he said.

“We have to target resources to get the construction industry up to the level it needs to be at. This also shows there is some way to go before we come out of the recession and shows why we require investment at a national level.

“Those staff affected should know there is support available through Future Prospects and benefits teams and they should come forward to get as much advice as they can – there are people willing to help them.”

Susie Cawood, the York head of Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are obviously in very difficult economic times for a lot of businesses, and if these redundancies do happen, our sympathy will be with those affected and their families.

“But Portakabin is a very responsible and important York business and it would not take decisions such as this lightly. It will be as devastating for them as their employees because they do care about their staff.

“We are coming out of the recession, but it will take time for things to get back to where they were.”