07.11.2013

Lay-offs at Liebherr mining

Liebherr has announced plans to lay off 65 full-time employees at its Newport News plant in Virginia, following a fall in demand.

The company has said that it reducing the number of employees until the market improves, however it is still moving forward with the $45 million expansion programme that it announced in February. It is also looking to add over 170 to its headcount when production lines for two mining truck models, for which it has already hired 20 new staff.
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The Liebherr Mining plant in Newport News

A spokesman for the plant said: "We held onto our employees for as long as we could, hoping market conditions would change, but the falling price of coal has caused some customers to postpone projects and equipment purchases until later next year or even into 2015. We have operated with reduced hours for shop-floor and warehouse employees since June, but now full time schedules will be restored.”