The leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Mike Ross, has issued a statement in response to news that petrochemicals giant INEOS has announced it is to cut 20 per cent of its staff at its Acetyls site at Saltend.
The firm, which was founded by the Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has blamed Chinese imports and rising energy costs and for the move, which is set to lead to 60 jobs being lost in the Hull area. It was a decision which the CEO of INEOS Acetyls, David Brooks has said “was not taken lightly.”
He added: “We have explored every possible alternative but in the face of sustained pressure from energy costs, combined with unfairly low-cost imports into the UK and Europe, we’ve been left with no other choice. Our priority now is to support those affected and protect the long-term future of the site.”
Responding to the news, the leader of Hull City Council, Liberal Democrat Cllr Mike Ross said: “It is deeply worrying to see this so soon after the job losses seen at Vivergo. Hull and the wider area are being left behind by this Government and let down by our new Mayor.
“We urgently need to hear from the Government and the Mayor about what they’re doing to support people in Hull and our local economy. As Council Leader, I am prepared to work with them, but they need to come forward with more support for our area.”
As Cllr Ross mentioned, the Saltend Chemicals Park has already taken a hit this year with the closure of the UK’s largest bioethanol producer, Vivergo Fuels. The company was impacted by the US-UK trade deal which saw the removal of a 19 per cent tariff on ethanol products imported from the United States.
During an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to save Vivergo, the firms at the chemicals park, owned by px, organised an open day. On the day Patrick Pogue, px’s Group Director for Growth and Innovation explained that at Saltend the various companies work together as an “integrated cluster.” He warned of the potential domino effect the loss of Vivergo would have on the rest of the site.
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
