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| 'Emotional' end to Burberry fight | 'Emotional' end to Burberry fight |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| More than 300 workers have made a final march from the gates of a south Wales clothing factory which has closed after 60 years of production. | More than 300 workers have made a final march from the gates of a south Wales clothing factory which has closed after 60 years of production. |
| Burberry has closed its plant in Treorchy, Rhondda, after months of protests and negotiations, saying it is not commercially viable. | Burberry has closed its plant in Treorchy, Rhondda, after months of protests and negotiations, saying it is not commercially viable. |
| Celebrities had campaigned to keep the factory open, and the closure provoked protests around the world. | Celebrities had campaigned to keep the factory open, and the closure provoked protests around the world. |
| Workers were joined by a male choir on their final rally in the town. | Workers were joined by a male choir on their final rally in the town. |
| Waving union banners, staff led a procession from the factory to cheers and applause as the Treorchy and Cwm Rhondda male voice choirs sang Speed Your Journey. | Waving union banners, staff led a procession from the factory to cheers and applause as the Treorchy and Cwm Rhondda male voice choirs sang Speed Your Journey. |
| The workers were joined by family, friends, former workers, politicians, union leaders and a local jazz band as they began their march, swelling their number to around 400. | The workers were joined by family, friends, former workers, politicians, union leaders and a local jazz band as they began their march, swelling their number to around 400. |
| Jean Young, who worked at the factory for 25 years, said: "A lot of us have been crying and saying 'so long' to friends we might not see again. | Jean Young, who worked at the factory for 25 years, said: "A lot of us have been crying and saying 'so long' to friends we might not see again. |
| "We're not all local and although we'll try and stay in touch, we're all going in different directions, some to new jobs, others retiring and some have already left with depression." | "We're not all local and although we'll try and stay in touch, we're all going in different directions, some to new jobs, others retiring and some have already left with depression." |
| The company, which took over the plant in 1989, announced last September it planned to leave Rhondda and move polo shirt production overseas where costs were lower. | The company, which took over the plant in 1989, announced last September it planned to leave Rhondda and move polo shirt production overseas where costs were lower. |
| Morale is still good - they're pleased with what the campaign has achieved Mervyn Burnett, GMB | Morale is still good - they're pleased with what the campaign has achieved Mervyn Burnett, GMB |
| Treorchy's production will now be shared between sites in Spain, Poland, Portugal and China. | Treorchy's production will now be shared between sites in Spain, Poland, Portugal and China. |
| Although campaigners failed to secure the 309 jobs, it appears their efforts may not have been in vain. | Although campaigners failed to secure the 309 jobs, it appears their efforts may not have been in vain. |
| Mervyn Burnett, a senior organiser for the GMB union, said concessions, which include enhanced redundancy payments, long-service awards, and around £500,000 for workforce re-training, were mainly down to campaign efforts. | Mervyn Burnett, a senior organiser for the GMB union, said concessions, which include enhanced redundancy payments, long-service awards, and around £500,000 for workforce re-training, were mainly down to campaign efforts. |
| He said although the workers would always resent the company, they had "come to terms" with the closure. | He said although the workers would always resent the company, they had "come to terms" with the closure. |
| "Morale is still good - they're pleased with what the campaign has achieved," he added. | "Morale is still good - they're pleased with what the campaign has achieved," he added. |
| Support from Hollywood actors including Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Sheen, singer Sir Tom Jones, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and singer-turned-TV presenter Charlotte Church, helped give the campaign a wealth of publicity. | Support from Hollywood actors including Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Sheen, singer Sir Tom Jones, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and singer-turned-TV presenter Charlotte Church, helped give the campaign a wealth of publicity. |
| href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/uk_enl_1175346388/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/uk_enl_1175346388/html/1.stm', '1175346487', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=750,height=518,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Workers said their farewells after the closure of the factory. href="javascript: void window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/uk_enl_1175346388/html/1.stm', '1175346487', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=750,height=518,left=312,top=100');" >Enlarge Image | |
| At the end of January, Burberry offered to donate the factory to the community - a gesture dismissed by the GMB Union as a "PR move". | At the end of January, Burberry offered to donate the factory to the community - a gesture dismissed by the GMB Union as a "PR move". |
| The following month, the clothing firm pulled out of sponsoring a Bafta reception in London after it emerged workers were planning to protest outside the event. | The following month, the clothing firm pulled out of sponsoring a Bafta reception in London after it emerged workers were planning to protest outside the event. |
| On Valentine's Day the campaign went global with protests on the streets of Paris, New York, Chicago, Strasbourg and Las Vegas. | On Valentine's Day the campaign went global with protests on the streets of Paris, New York, Chicago, Strasbourg and Las Vegas. |
| Burberry has since revised its offer to donate the factory, and has pledged to give the community £150,000 a year for the next 10 years. | Burberry has since revised its offer to donate the factory, and has pledged to give the community £150,000 a year for the next 10 years. |
| Of the 309 workers originally facing unemployment, 175 have already found alternative work. All staff will receive redundancy packages of no less than £3,000. | Of the 309 workers originally facing unemployment, 175 have already found alternative work. All staff will receive redundancy packages of no less than £3,000. |
| There are hopes that a workers' co-operative, which could employ anything between 30 and 70 people, will be established in Treorchy. | There are hopes that a workers' co-operative, which could employ anything between 30 and 70 people, will be established in Treorchy. |
| Earlier this month, Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed met a delegation of Burberry employees and pledged to place orders with them, should it get off the ground. | Earlier this month, Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed met a delegation of Burberry employees and pledged to place orders with them, should it get off the ground. |
| Burberry has also announced it would support the venture. | Burberry has also announced it would support the venture. |
| 'Sad day' | 'Sad day' |
| Leighton Andrews, the Rhondda Labour candidate at the Welsh assembly election on 3 May, and who, as the AM for the past four years, has been at the forefront of the campaign, said it was a "sad day". | Leighton Andrews, the Rhondda Labour candidate at the Welsh assembly election on 3 May, and who, as the AM for the past four years, has been at the forefront of the campaign, said it was a "sad day". |
| Feelings run deep at the final rally to mark the factory closure | |
| "We have all fought hard to keep it open, and we will continue to try to find jobs for those who are left," he added. | "We have all fought hard to keep it open, and we will continue to try to find jobs for those who are left," he added. |
| Paying tribute to the workers' campaign, Plaid Cymru's Rhondda candidate, Jill Evans, said: "I've been privileged to campaign with them and they're proof of the strong community in Treorchy and the Rhondda as a whole." | Paying tribute to the workers' campaign, Plaid Cymru's Rhondda candidate, Jill Evans, said: "I've been privileged to campaign with them and they're proof of the strong community in Treorchy and the Rhondda as a whole." |
| She added: "We must make sure this never happens again." | She added: "We must make sure this never happens again." |
| Liberal Democrat candidate Karen Roberts said: "Yet again it's jobs that have been lost to the area, and what do we replace them with? | Liberal Democrat candidate Karen Roberts said: "Yet again it's jobs that have been lost to the area, and what do we replace them with? |
| "How many jobs do we have to lose before something is done?" | "How many jobs do we have to lose before something is done?" |
| Conservative candidate Howard Parsons said it was a sad day for Burberry workers, for the Rhondda and for Wales. | Conservative candidate Howard Parsons said it was a sad day for Burberry workers, for the Rhondda and for Wales. |
| Mr Parsons said there had been a "dignified and determined" campaign by the workers and every effort had to be made to help them find new jobs or to retrain. | Mr Parsons said there had been a "dignified and determined" campaign by the workers and every effort had to be made to help them find new jobs or to retrain. |
| A spokesman for Burberry said: "The Treorchy factory will close on 30 March, following a 12-month review from 2005-2006; a thorough consultation process and a three-month extension to the closure date, for employees to be retrained and to allow maximum time for staff to find alternative employment." | A spokesman for Burberry said: "The Treorchy factory will close on 30 March, following a 12-month review from 2005-2006; a thorough consultation process and a three-month extension to the closure date, for employees to be retrained and to allow maximum time for staff to find alternative employment." |