Employees were devastated at news that around 900 jobs could be axed at New Southgate's Nortel Networks plant.

The cuts, revealed this week, are likely to fall on Nortel's factory in Oakleigh Road South, as well as other plants in Harlow, Camberley and Maidenhead.

Employees at the plant were informed of the company's decision on Tuesday.

The move comes amid news of an economic slowdown which has seen thousands of jobs cut worldwide, particularly in the telecommunications industry.

One employee, who did not want to be named, said: "Three or four weeks ago Nortel announced 20,000 global job cuts and on Tuesday it dropped the bombshell that it is getting rid of 900.

"It is devastating because there have been people working at the site for 40 years. Everybody at work has got their heads down at the moment."

Ben Atherton, a spokesman for the global communications company, would not be drawn on how many jobs would be affected at the New Southgate plant.

"We provided a number to form the basis of 90 days' discussion, which was 900. The next 90 days will see how many jobs we can save. We will work out where we are going to have to make the cuts. It has been a very difficult decision for the company to take and we hope we can minimise it."

Mr Atherton added that the decision to scale down the company's workforce was due to a very protracted downturn in the industry.

Earlier this year the company announced 70 jobs were to go at the New Southgate site and in June it revealed it was planning to axe 10,000 globally.

October 17, 2001 17:26

KEVIN BURCHALL