Butler and Tanner closure is a blow to the town

Written by David Heath MP and published in Frome Standard on Thu 1st May 2008

The news over the weekend that Butler and Tanner is to close is very bad news for Frome. The firm is long-established and much-respected in the town, and many of the workforce have been with the company for many years. Now, abruptly, almost three hundred are to lose their jobs.

The tragedy is that the relationship between the shop floor and management seems to have completely broken down, which is very different from the situation as it was a few years ago. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the closure was premeditated and that staff, many of whom have worked loyally over long periods, have been treated pretty shabbily.

I well remember previous large-scale closures in Frome such as Coloroll and Cuprinol. In the latter case, the management took great trouble to make sure I was kept informed and to help those who would lose their jobs. This time I have heard nothing beyond a rather intemperate press release.

The first priority is to make sure staff get what they are entitled to in terms of pay and pensions. Then we need all the agencies to do their best to offer opportunities for new employment. It will be little consolation to people facing unemployment to say that Frome's economy is in pretty good shape at the moment, but thank goodness it is. A shutdown like this is still a big blow.