Doors to shut on jobs?

Unite is ‘pulling out all the stops’ in efforts to save 353 jobs at East Midlands door manufacturer Leaderflush Shapland which has gone into administration.

Unite regional officer Garry Guye said that the potential loss of the 353 jobs – based at Langley Mill, Derbyshire and Mansfield, Nottinghamshire – would be ‘a severe body blow to the regional economy’.

Unite has been in talks with the administrators, Deloitte, about the possibility of finding a buyer for the sites which are part of the Laidlaw Interiors Group.

“The situation is not good and it is a bleak welcome to 2016 for this dedicated workforce,” commented Garry Guye.

“But Unite is pulling out all the stops and working with the administrators who are looking to find a buyer for this business.

“We understand that the company was in financial difficulties, but that the management said in September it had a turn-around plan – however, three months later the plug was pulled.”

Guye continued, “It is certainly a body blow to the regional economy and shows the fragile nature of George Osborne’s so-called recovery.

“Unite is currently supporting our members to the maximum extent and working in partnership with other agencies, such as the department of work and pensions, to assist our members in securing future employment,” he added.