Steel firm jobs blow

Eighty-two jobs are set to go at a Stourbridge steel manufacturer, it emerged today.

More than half of the 135-strong workforce employed at Caparo Aluminium Technologies, in Wollaston, will be axed. It is the second wave of redundancies at the site on the Sunrise Business Park this year, after 27 jobs went in January.

Kevin Beeton, Caparo Aluminium's managing director, was unavailable for comment today.

But Community union branch secretary Sean Bowen said he believed the company, which makes parts for the transport industries – including aerospace and maritime industries – had not been profitable for some time.

Sixty-nine of the job losses will be from the firm's 122 foundry workers while the other 13 jobs are in administration.

The foundry, described by Caparo on its website as "leading edge", had an £8million investment in 2003, when it was still owned by Zeus Aluminum Products.

Caparo bought Zeus out in 2006 when it went bankrupt, in a move heralded as a job-saving take-over.

Rob Edwards, Community's regional director, said: "We're in the process of consultation and the union is looking at every avenue in order to minimise the effects of this announcement on our members and their families."

Mr Bowen, the union's secretary said: "We've been making a loss for the past two years but the announcement was still a shock, especially with that amount of jobs going.

"We're trying to minimise job losses at the moment to keep some of the workers that were going to go."

The Express & Star was denied entry to Caparo Aluminum when a reporter called to try to discuss the jobs cuts today.

The announcement comes just days after it was revealed up to 200 jobs could go at the Kingswinford base of energy giant E-on.