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Hall's of Broxburn closure: Council 'committed' to saving jobs Hall's of Broxburn closure: Council 'committed' to saving jobs
(about 6 hours later)
The leader of West Lothian Council said the local authority was "fully committed" to do what it could to save jobs at the Hall's factory. Councillors have held an emergency meeting to discuss the threatened closure of the Hall's of Broxburn meat processing plant in West Lothian.
John McGinty believed it was vital to examine all the options to keep the 1,700 employee plant at Broxburn going. The factory's owner, Vion, said it had been losing £79,000 a day.
The Vion-owned factory slaughters pigs for processing into meat products, including sausages. It also makes beef sausages, black pudding and haggis. West Lothian Council leader John McGinty said the local authority was "fully committed" to doing what it could to save jobs at the factory.
Mr McGinty will host a meeting later to examine the best ways forward. He said it was vital to examine all the options to keep the 1,700-employee plant going.
The factory slaughters pigs for processing into meat products, including sausages. It also makes beef sausages, black pudding and haggis.
Dutch food company Vion announced last week that it was set to close the plant due to "unsustainable losses" and over-capacity in the UK meat industry.Dutch food company Vion announced last week that it was set to close the plant due to "unsustainable losses" and over-capacity in the UK meat industry.
Staff have been told that a 90-day consultation will now take place. Staff have been told that a 90-day consultation will take place.
An emergency task force, involving the Scottish government and West Lothian Council, has already met and will continue meeting to discuss the crisis. An emergency task force, involving the Scottish government and West Lothian Council, has already met and will continue to discuss the crisis.
Councillor McGinty told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I think we would want Vion to look at every option to secure the plant and to secure the jobs for people here in West Lothian. After Monday morning's meeting, Mr McGinty said the closure would have "a devastating impact on local people, families, communities and businesses".
"The council will provide all the support we can and all the expertise and resources that are available to the council to help in that effort to secure the plant and to secure local jobs." "The council's focus is on Vion retaining jobs at the Broxburn plant," he said.
He said that in the first instance the council wanted Vion to explain how the current situation had arisen and then to assess what the future options were. "We have asked for a full explanation of how this situation came about and we are pressing Vion to ensure that every option is fully explored."
Councillor McGinty added: "The council is fully committed to the task force announced by the Scottish government. Mr McGinty added: "Today, the council executive has agreed that the major objective for all concerned must be to safeguard the future of the plant, and calls on all stakeholders to work together to deliver a solution which ensures continued and sustainable production at the plant and protects vital local jobs."
"The workers and their families in Broxburn are our first priority. We will leave no stone unturned in our effort to try and ensure that the plant has a future and that we secure the jobs." The council said it would write to the first minister and Scottish secretary, as well as the company and a union, to express its concerns.