Nearly 400 jobs are at risk at Grangemouth after chemicals producer Syngenta announced plans to close its manufacturing site.
The Swiss-owned company has begun formal consultation with trade unions and employees, with 377 jobs at risk, although it said “no final decision has been made”.
The announcement comes after around 400 workers lost their jobs following the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery last year.
Mike Hollands, Syngenta Crop Protection’s Global Head of Production and Supply and President of Syngenta UK, said: “The workforce at Grangemouth is highly skilled and passionate, but despite all efforts, we have not been able to make the Grangemouth site competitive compared to alternative supply options.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we make this proposal, but we are committed to a constructive consultation and will continue to consider options as part of that process.”
The company said the site faces high operating costs and remains significantly more expensive than alternative production locations despite efforts to improve its competitiveness.
Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth Brian Leishman said: “This is absolutely horrendous news for the workforce, horrendous news for the town, which has seen a steady stream of deindustrialisation for decades.”
He called on the UK Government to deploy the £200million previously committed to Grangemouth, saying: “Let's reindustrialise it. The money is there. The will has to be there. Get going.”
Unite national officer Tony Devlin said: “The closure of Syngenta would be a hammer blow for its workers, the local community in Grangemouth and the Scottish economy.”