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Jobs loss fears over plans to close flooring factory

BBC A blue industrial building with a lorry parked outside on a dreich Scottish afternoonBBC
The Dumfries factory produces carpet grippers

A union has called for "urgent action" to save jobs under threat at a south of Scotland flooring factory.

Interfloor - once a major employer in the area - currently has 33 staff at its last site in Heathhall near Dumfries which makes gripper bars for carpets.

GMB Scotland said consultation had started on plans which could see the closure of the Scottish site and operations consolidated at Haslingden in Lancashire.

The company said it had put different options to staff and a final decision on the way forward would be made at the end of the month.

A sign for the Interfloor factory in front a corrugated iron gate
Interfloor was once a major employer in the area

The union said it had been suggested that staff from the Dumfries plant could travel south to help train workers until the transfer of operations was complete.

Alan Ritchie, GMB Scotland organiser at Interfloor, said: "The company's stated intention to close this site and transfer the work to England is bad enough but to ask those workers facing redundancy to train their replacements is beyond the pale.

"The company has announced these plans and launched a 30-day consultation on the proposals without, apparently, seriously exploring any other option.

"The workers in Dumfries are skilled and committed and deserve far better."

The company has blamed falling sales on the loss of its biggest customer Carpetright, which went into administration in July.

It has also said sanctions linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have prevented the import of plywood and driven up costs.

It said it had been operating at a loss for some time and there was no indication of improvements in the supply chain "in the foreseeable future".

'Massive blow'

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “The closure of Interfloor's factory in Heathhall would be a massive blow to Dumfries and my thoughts are very much with the workforce and their families at this worrying time."

He said he had written to the Scottish government and local agencies to explore "every option possible" to keep the site open.

"This is a loyal and skilled workforce and they really do deserve better," he said.

"This is the last remaining Interfloor site in town, following the closure of their other factories a decade ago, so there would be nowhere to relocate staff locally if the axe falls on the Heathhall factory."