Two Peterlee factories at risk of closure with loss of hundreds of jobs
NSK Bearing and AKS Precision Ball have been earmarked for closure by Japanese owners NSK
Plans to shut two factories in County Durham have been revealed - with the loss of hundreds of jobs.
Japanese owners NSK said it was proposing to close its two sites in Peterlee as part of a strategy to exit unprofitable businesses.
The factories, which produce bearings for the automotive industry, employ up to 400 people.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:
“This is a complete betrayal by NSK of its County Durham workforce, who have broken their backs hitting performance targets that they were told would keep their factories safe. There is a viable business case for keeping these sites open and Unite will fight tooth and nail for that to happen.”
The company first began operations at Peterlee in 1976. It has another UK manufacturing facility at Newark in Nottinghamshire and another three in Germany and Poland.
Its customers are understood to include VW, Renault and fellow Japanese firm Nissan, which has car production sites at nearby Sunderland.
Unite national officer Steve Bush said:
“NSK doesn’t need to close these factories and Unite will be forcefully making that point during consultations. Ensuring their future should be a no brainer for the government, as bearings will still be needed for cars long after diesel and petrol engines have been phased out.
“Once again, alarm bells are ringing for ministers to urgently put a comprehensive plan together to support the UK automotive industry and its supply chain though this turbulent transition and safeguard the countless jobs the sector supports.”
The Japanese owners say it's part of “structural reforms”.
Its statement said NSK Europe had faced "persistent challenges in the profitability of locally manufactured products".
"NSK will continue discussions with stakeholders and provide support measures for affected staff if the closure proceeds, which is expected to be completed no later than March 2027.
"The company has not yet determined the full impact of this decision on its business performance."