JOB losses are on the cards at Huddersfield engineering company Brook Crompton.
The company today said it planned to reduce the number of staff at its Longroyd Bridge plant as part of major redundancies to cut costs.
It is not known how many jobs will go in Huddersfield. The plant has about 150 staff.
The cutbacks also include closure of the company's factory at Guiseley, near Leeds, with the loss of all 225 jobs there, and redundancies at a factory in Blackheath, West Midlands.
In total, the company said job losses could be as high as 400.
The electric motor maker said the Guiseley plant would close by the middle of the year.
The company, part of Singapore-based Lindeteves- Jacoberg, has begun a 90-day consultation period with unions.
In a statement, Graham Harries, UK managing director for Brook Crompton,
said: "There is a need to reduce operating costs, due to the general slowing of UK business and to allow us to compete in the tough international market for motors."
Redundancies will be spread over the next few months.
The statement said Huddersfield would stay as the base for product development and marketing in the UK and that manufacturing would continue at Blackheath.
Brook Crompton ended manufacturing at Huddersfield in February, 2002, with the loss of about 450 jobs. Part of the factory has been cleared to provide space for other business use.
An employee, who asked not to be named, said:
"The company was asked to keep the employees more informed. They have failed to do that."
Mr Harries was unavailable to comment today.
