MORE than 30 staff at a Co Antrim-based trailer-making plant have been handed redundancy warning notices - on the very same day the company announced record profits and turnover.
Around 35 workers in the piping and wiring departments at SDC Trailers in Toomebridge have been asked to accept a pay reduction of up to 30 per cent and lose their "production bonus", which is paid when they work more than 53 hours a week.
And some of them have also been asked to consider a possible relocation.
Ironically the notices were served at a meeting on Thursday - coinciding with the company revealing a near-40 per cent lift in turnover to £150 million and a bumper 82 per cent rise in bottom-line profits to £5.6m.
"Our view is that we've helped get SDC to this very healthy financial position yet are now potentially being discarded," one disgruntled worker told the Irish News yesterday.
"We're being asked to do more work for less pay, and even some of our rights are being impinged. Most of us aren't even in a union."
Management at the Retlan-owned group last night confirmed there is "a possibility of some redundancies" emerging through a reorganisation process.
A spokesman said: "As part of our drive to increase efficiency and maintain competitiveness, we have undertaken a review of manufacturing practises within one of the piping and wiring departments, which may lead to a reorganisation on the factory floor.
"If implemented, this would involve moving from a cellular manufacturing process to an assembly line. We have explained those changes to our staff and highlighted to them that there will now be a consultation period over the next 30 days to gauge their opinion, and seek alternative proposals if possible.
"While there is a possibility of some redundancies emerging through this reorganisation process, we have highlighted to our staff our commitment to avoid any compulsory redundancies, and undertaken to involve them throughout in the decision making process.
"Indeed we have offered to move staff affected to other departments within the company, or to move on to the new assembly line, and we would hope, if this reorganisation happens, that the staff members in the department affected do not take up their redundancy package."
The company says it prides itself on being "a fair and generous employer" and adds it has built a strong relationship with staff which has helped it prosper.
"In order to maintain our strong market position we have to do all in our power to keep costs low and competitiveness in place,” the company added.
SDC is the UK’s largest trailer manufacturing company. Founded in 1978, last year it reported record trailer orders with production exceeding 8,000 units, prompting them to increase output by 30 per cent.
In May it announced a £15m order from rental, lease, maintenance and asset management company TIP trailer services to supply 700 of its new trailers. That resulted in a significant upturn in staff numbers which rose to 560 from 405.
