AM to table emergency question in Assembly over jobs fears at Flint wet wipe manufacturing site

North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd is to table an emergency question in the Assembly over job loss fears at a US owned wet wipe manufacturing plant in Flint.

Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Huggies and Kleenex tissues, says it plans to cut about 13% of its workforce globally, at least 5,000 jobs, in a bid to reduce costs.

The company which operates the wet wipe manufacturing plant on Aber Road in Flint wants to shut or sell 10 of its 91 production factories worldwide.

The move comes as the Dallas based company struggles to lift sales. In the fourth quarter of 2017, sales rose by just 1%.

Kimberly-Clark said the restructuring would streamline its supply chain, saving at least £350m by the end of 2021, reports suggest half the cuts will be in North America.

The savings are in addition to a plan to reduce costs by just over £1bn in that time.

Thomas J. Falk, the chairman and chief executive, said in a statement that the cuts would make the company “leaner, stronger and faster.”

“Although we expect market conditions will remain challenging in the near-term, we plan to deliver better results in 2018 while we begin to implement our new restructuring”, said Falk.

The Flint facilty which turns out 170 million wet wipes per year saw a £23m investment in its production line in 2016 creating 35 new jobs, it was backed by £160,000 business finance from the Welsh Government.

Responding to news about proposed job cuts at Kimberley Clark, Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM, said:

“This is very concerning news for all those working at Flint. The Welsh Government must now step up to the plate and do everything possible to protect these jobs. I will be requesting an urgent meeting with the company and tabling an emergency question in the Assembly.

All involved must come together and leave no stone unturned to protect these jobs.”