Staff await news of buyer for threatened meat plant
Monday 30 July 2012
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EmailBuyers are being sought for a closure-threatened meat plant while talks continue with the current owners, Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney said today.
Vion Food UK is consulting on the future of its Hall's of Broxburn factory in West Lothian, putting about 1,700 jobs at risk.
The factory employs 1,150 permanent and 595 agency staff. It is a major processing plant for Scottish pork used to make sausages and other meat products, handling about 8,000 pigs each week.
Mr Swinney convened the second "taskforce" meeting with the aim of takeing stock of developments almost a month after the owners announced a 90-day consultation.
"The government can't acquire companies like this, this is a private company, but what the government can do is engage in dialogue with a range of parties that would have an interest in the plant," he said.
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