Plessey Semiconductors expected to make redundancies

Plessey's director of finance Chris Bailey Bailey told The Plymouth Herald that a consultation process has started with the workers, but alternatives might be possible. "We are obviously working as hard as we can to build the business back up again," said Bailey. "Basically, we are having to transition Plessey into something new." The new incarnation of the silicon wafer manufacturer was created last December when Roborough's X Fab plant was bought out by management. Six of the management team then united with five managers from Swindon's Plus Semi to take over both factories. The South West Regional Development Agency subsequently agreed to inject nearly £1million during the next three years to help the new operation develop. Plessey's three year RDA supported plan was to transfer its Swindon manufacturing technology to Plymouth, while retaining a staff of approximately 25 to concentrate on R&D in Swindon. Regional unite officer Terry Keefe, said: "They tried to put process in place to cut the business they do in Swindon and the work they anticipated when they bought the business dried up. With those two things put together, people could see that things were not great, but the redundancies have come as a shock."