20 November 1997: A new container glass production project in Northern Ireland is worrying rival firms in nearby Scotland and northern England. The new UK 40 million factory, owned by an Irish busines…
20 November 1997: A new container glass production project in Northern Ireland is worrying rival firms in nearby Scotland and northern England. The new UK 40 million factory, owned by an Irish businessman, Sean Quinn, is being built with the help of a UK 13 million government grant and will have an annual capacity of more than 20,000 tonnes. There are fears that the result will be job losses, particularly in Scotland where United Glass employs 850 workers at its Alloa and Cumbernauld plants, and Rockware employs 350 workers in the town of Irvine. A total of around 6,500 people are employed in the container glass industry in the UK. The grant was awarded by the previous Conservative government to encourage employment in what is considered a socially disadvantaged area. The manufacturers“ organisation British Glass is now calling for the new Labour government to re-think the decision, which it describes as misguided at a time when demand for container glass has been declining.