Unite has today (July 8) responded to plans to cut jobs at Dow in Barry, South Wales.

The firm, which has produced chemicals in Barry since the 1940s, has confirmed it is closing the Basics area of its plant, with closure plans first announced in April this year.

Initially almost 300 jobs were at risk but following negotiations with Unite it is expected that this will be reduced to 200, with almost 150 of these voluntary redundancies. Employees who are set to lose their jobs have also secured enhanced redundancy packages.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Dow's callous decision to cut jobs is devastating to both our members and their families and the local economy.

"Our reps have worked hard to mitigate the impact of redundancies and we will fight every step of the way to ensure as many members as possible are retrained and moved into job roles in other areas of Dow."

Basic chemicals are used internally by Dow as raw materials and are also sold worldwide in areas such as the food industry, paints and coatings and dry cleaning products.

Dow is an American multinational corporation that has 214 manufacturing sites in 37 countries. In 2021, it was among the three largest chemical producers in the world. However, it says cheap competition from China is behind the closure, as its Basics product are no longer competitive on the open market with China undercutting prices.

The shutdown in Barry is expected to begin in mid-2026 and finish by the end of 2027, but could continue as late as 2029 as consultations are ongoing. Other areas of operation in the Barry factory will be unaffected, Dow's two other European sites in Germany will also see job cuts.

Unite Regional officer Anthony Simpson said: "Unite’s hard work in negotiations has managed to save some of the jobs at risk and ensure that those who are being made redundant receive enhanced packages.

"However, going forward we need to ensure there is government support for retraining across the board. We need a proactive industrial strategy that underpins our manufacturing industry to ensure there is decent future employment in the Barry area."

ENDS