1 April 1999: Around 15 workers are to lose their jobs at a Staffordshire Moorlands quarry, according to a recent report. A fall in the demand for glass is being blamed for redundancies announced by H…
1 April 1999: Around 15 workers are to lose their jobs at a Staffordshire Moorlands quarry, according to a recent report. A fall in the demand for glass is being blamed for redundancies announced by Hepworth Minerals at the Moneystone Quarry in Oakamoor, UK. A workforce of 86 is employed at Moneystone in sand quarrying and processing clay for the ceramics industry. “The company regrets to announce that between 13 and 15 positions are being made redundant because of a decline in business due to the closure of the U G Peasley Glassworks at St. Helens – the quarry“s major customer,” said Finance Director David Routs. Routs added that around half of the redundancies would be voluntary and the job cuts will take effect from April. “The company“s workforce has dwindled to around half its size in the past ten years. It is a great pity for the area and I think the drop in demand for glass is partly caused by increased conservation. We are recycling a lot more than we used to,” said Local councillor Lionel Richardson, an ex-employee of Hepworth. Hepworth Minerals, which has its head office in Sandbach, operates from 16 sites in the UK and is a major supplier of raw materials to the glass and ceramics industries.