The social club at Colchester factory Betts is to shut down as the firm prepares to lay off almost half its employees.

The Ipswich Road manufacturer announced last week it would shed 200 of 500 jobs at the site, after agreeing to transfer its injection-moulding operation to a new US-based partner, Nypro.

Director Neville Chapman confirmed the company's on-site social club had been closed in a move linked to the decision to make redundancies.

He claimed few employees now used the club and said there had been problems with members of the outside groups which rented it.

The Transport and General Workers' Union summoned Betts bosses for talks yesterday in a bid to negotiate a compromise on redundancies at the plant.

No agreements had been made but representative Peter Stephens said he had scheduled more meetings with both bosses and workers for today and tomorrow.

Published Wednesday, September 15, 2004

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