UPDATE: Pirelli Carlisle Cuts 60 Manufacturing Jobs

Following the announcement that its Carlisle plant would be shedding 60 jobs – as reported here on Tuesday – Pirelli has released a statement that it has begun consultation with the site’s senior Union officials. It remarks that, as suggested on Tuesday, the declining price of commodity tyres and identical products made in lower cost countries have led to the necessity to lose 60 employees from the site, taking effect at the end of October 2008.

A spokesman for the company said that “Although difficult for all concerned, this course of action will help safeguard the future of the plant and the Company will strive to minimise the impact on our workforce. On a more positive note, we continue to invest in the Carlisle plant, with the installation of 10 new large presses and the upgrade of some building machines, to increase our capacity in large tyres. Within the next few months we anticipate signing a contract for delivery of a wind turbine, to improve our costs.”