A sad day; this is one of the former success stories of high-tech cooperation between East and West. At least they have left a legacy of high-tech industry in South Wales so maybe the workers will be able to find other jobs..
Sony sheds 650 jobs with closure
The electronics giant Sony is to close its television manufacturing plant in south Wales with the loss of 650 jobs. Four hundred jobs will be lost when the Bridgend factory, where cathode ray tubes (CRT) are made, closes by March 2006.Another 250 will be lost at the firm’s Pencoed assembly plant nearby.
The Japanese firm blamed the growth in demand for flat-screen televisions instead of its CRT models.
The firm had already announced 300 job losses at the south Wales plants in January.
Digital cameras will continue to be made at Pencoed.
In a statement, the firm said: “The demand for CRT-based televisions within the UK and Europe has fallen significantly and the transition to flat TVs has been much quicker than we first expected.
SONY IN WALES
Sony production started in Bridgend in 1974, the Pencoed plant opened in 1992.
At one time the plants employed more than 4,000
In Oct 2000, 400 job losses were announced – with the strong pound and competition blamed. More followed in recent years.
The Queen on a visit praised the firm’s “commendable commitment” to the workforce
At one time, 60 Japanese firms employed 20,000 people in WalesIt said the decision was made “with regret” and despite “excellent performance” at the two plants.
Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs he was sorry about the losses and promised the UK Government would develop a package to help those who are made redundant.
“It is our responsibility to put in place a proper package of support and help,” he told the Commons.
Mr Blair offered to meet Ogmore MP Huw Irranca-Davies, who said the news was a “great disappointment”.
“The extremely loyal workforce at Sony have known for some time that the market for the older technology TVs was in rapid decline, but they and I had hoped – following previous meetings with Sony – that the emerging markets in Eastern Europe would help sustain production in Wales for quite some time,” he said.
Bridgend council is to set up a response team and called the announcement “a very sad one for Bridgend and for South Wales generally”.
In its heyday, the plants employed more than 4,000 people, but this number had dwindled to around 900 before Wednesday’s announcement.
People shopping in Bridgend town centre said they were shocked and surprised at the news.
Roma Mercy said: “It’s obviously going to affect a lot of people because Sony’s got a big influence in the area.
Jean Tuckett said: “It will probably affect us a lot. It will be terrible.” George Davies added: “It will affect everything, the shopping, everybody. There’s so much of it.”
But Robert Evans was not convinced the cuts would be so bad. He said: “When it’s only 650 jobs, it won’t make much difference. They will get soaked up by other places.”
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wales/4632931.stmPublished: 2005/06/29 11:55:15 GMT
© BBC MMV
Gall hyd at 650 o swyddi gael eu colli mewn ffatri Sony yn ne Cymru yn ôl newyddion ddaeth i law BBC Cymru.
Mae disgwyl i 400 o swyddi gael eu colli yn y ffatri ym Mhen-y-Bont ar Ogwr a fydd yn arwain at gau’r safle.
Ac mae disgwyl i hyd at 250 o swyddi eraill gael eu colli ar safle Pencoed gerllaw.
Mae’r cwmni o Japan yn beio’r cynnydd yn y galw am deledu sgrîn fflat yn hytrach na’r setiau traddodiadol.
Mae cyfanswm o 900 o weithwyr yno ar hyn o bryd yn dilyn 300 o ddiswyddiadau yn gynharach eleni.
Yn y Senedd ddydd Mercher dywedodd Tony Blair ei fod yn flin am y cyhoeddiad ynglŷn a’r swyddi ac addawodd y byddai’r llywodraeth yn gweithio i gynorthwyo’r rhai fydd yn colli eu gwaith.
Dywedodd swyddogion yr undeb bod cyfarfodydd yn cael eu cynnal ddydd Mercher.
“Mae’r swyddi yma o safon uchel ac roedden nhw’n bwysig iawn i’r economi lleol”
Janet Davies, AC Plaid Cymru
Mae Undeb Amicus yn cynnal cyfarfod ar y safle ym Mhen-y-Bont cyn cyfarfod gyda’r rheolwyr.
Dywedodd Ellis Roberts, Gohebydd Busnes BBC Cymru bod ‘na doriadau wedi bod yn y gwaith cynhyrchu.
“Un o’r problemau mae Pen-y-Bont a Phencoed yn gorfod mynd i’r afael â hi ydi bod setiau teledu sy’n cael eu cynhyrchu yno yn tueddu i fod yn hen ffasiwn,” meddai.
“Ym Mhrydain mae mwy o alw am y set sgrîn fflat yn hytrach na’r setiau traddodiadol.
“Oherwydd bod cynnyrch Pen-y-Bont yn ei hanfod a’i natur braidd yn hen erbyn hyn, dyna pam ei bod wedi bod yn dalcen caled i Sony yn ddiweddar.”
Cadeirydd o Gymru
Dywedodd bod ‘na bryder bod toriadau ym Mhencoed yn gadael nifer fechan o staff yn cynhyrchu camerâu digidol a fideo.
Ym Mhen-y-Bont mae’r gweithlu yn gyfrifol am gynhyrchu tiwbiau ar gyfer y teledu traddodiadol tra bod y safle ym Mhencoed yn eu gosod i mewn yn y setiau ar gyfer y farchnad ym Mhrydain.
Ond dywedodd y cwmni bod y galw am deledu sgrîn fflat wedi effeithio ar y galw am eu cynnyrch.
Ym mis Mawrth 2005 cafodd Syr Howard Stringer, a anwyd yng Nghaerdydd, ei apwyntio’n gadeirydd y cwmni.
Fo ydi cadeirydd cyntaf y cwmni i fod y tu allan i Japan mewn 59 mlynedd.
Mae Janet Davies, AC Plaid Cymru ac aelod o’r Pwyllgor Datblygiad Economaidd, wedi disgrifio’r pryder fel “cam yn ôl” i ardal Pen-y-Bont a Phencoed.
“Mae’r swyddi yma o safon uchel ac roedden nhw’n bwysig iawn i’r economi lleol,” meddai.
“Dwi’n gobeithio y bydd Andrew Davies (Gweinidog Datblygu Economaidd) yn cynnig cymorth i’r rhai fydd yn colli eu gwaith.”
