Chemicals factory confirms it is axing 220 jobs

Operations at the Barry chemical plant began in the early 1940s, and 850 people work there

A chemicals company has confirmed 220 jobs will be lost as it closes part of its factory in south Wales.

The factory in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, has been producing chemicals since the 1940s, but Dow said cuts were "in response to structural challenges in the region" and the jobs would be "phased out" over the next three to four years.

The plant makes siloxanes - chemical compounds made of silicone and oxygen that are the building blocks of the silicones found in sealants and adhesives.

Other areas of the operation in the factory will be unaffected but two of the firm's other European sites - both in Germany - will also be subject to cuts, bringing the total jobs lost to about 800.

The shutdown is expected to begin in mid-2026 and is set to be finished by the end of 2027, "with potential decommissioning and demolition to continue into 2029 as needed".

This announcement follows £736m ($1bn) of cuts announced by Dow in January, resulting in a workforce reduction of about 1,500 roles globally.

Dow chairman and CEO Jim Fitterling said: "Our industry in Europe continues to face difficult market dynamics, as well as an ongoing challenging cost and demand landscape."

The global chemicals firm said the job losses in Barry were due to "an ongoing challenging cost and demand landscape"

The cuts to the three sites, including Barry, were first proposed in April and, on 30 June, Dow's board of directors approved them.

The initial proposal was for 291 roles to be axed in Barry, which was later reduced to 220.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of the union Unite, said the "callous" decision to cut jobs was "devastating to both our members and their families and the local economy".

"Our reps have worked hard to mitigate the impact of redundancies and we will fight every step of the way to ensure as many members as possible are retrained and moved into job roles in other areas of Dow," she said.

Anthony Simpson, Unite's regional officer, said a "proactive industrial strategy" was needed to "ensure there is decent future employment in the Barry area".

About 850 people work at the site, which has been wholly owned by the American chemicals company since 2016.