150 JOBS TO GO AT HUNTER SMELTER

January 11, 2012 at 1:10 pm

2012 has started badly for 150 workers at the Hydro Aluminium plant in the Hunter Valley, who were told today they’ve no longer got jobs.

The company told workers that it’s “curtailing” the oldest and most expensive of its three lines at its Kurri Kurri plant due to low metal prices and the rising Australian Dollar. It says it’s not closing the line, meaning there’s potential to increase production should the economic climate improve.

The 500 strong workforce will be slashed by 150.

Hydro says it’s in negotiations with unions and that employees will receive some sort of redundancy package.

Details on this story in NBN News at 6.