A ceramic worker called on the government to “intervene as soon as possible” to save the pottery industry in Staffordshire.
Sharon Yates has been a Chinese Cup handler at Dunoon for 33 years, but says the factory is “bleeding”, mainly due to rising energy costs.
This comes as Royal Stafford, which hired 83 employees last month, entered liquidation, while Portmeirion confirmed the layoffs on the Stoke-Trent website in Trent.
Potential rescue plans will be discussed at a Ceramics Summit at Festival Park in Trent on Friday ahead of the government meeting next week.
Ms Yates told BBC Radio Stoke that she felt “hopeful” about the solution after MPs in the region raised the industry’s struggle in parliament.
“It requires immediate government intervention to save the pottery industry,” she said.
“We have a legacy, but we can’t continue to play with that legacy. We have to focus on the present and the future. There are factories that are producing there now.”
Staffordshire’s ceramics industry has been hit by rising energy costs [BBC]
Other companies facing difficulties include W Moorcroft Ltd of Trent, which warned that energy bills have risen by £120,000 due to potential job losses due to lower sales.
Ms Yates said pottery companies need to “protect” the impact of rising energy prices to “keep kiln lighting.”
She added: “We have to get together. It has been going on for too long. People are frustrated because there are many negative comments about Stoke-on-Trent and the pottery industry.”
The pottery industry has been at the heart of Staffordshire’s economy for hundreds of years [Stoke-on-Trent City Council]
Ms Yates will meet at a meeting on the department in Parliament on Tuesday, which includes representatives of the energy company and Minister of Commerce and Trade Sarah Jones.
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