MORE than 50 workers are being laid off at one of Clitheroe’s biggest employers as China’s economic woes ripple across the globe to East Lancashire.

Consultations have begun at Johnson Matthey with fears that two plants will be dismantled as a total of 55 members of staff are made redundant.

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The global chemical company, which has a base at the former ICI factory in Pimlico Industrial Area, Bradford Road, is reorganising its process technologies section, which supplies catalysts, absorbents and licensed technologies to the petrochemical, syngas oil refining and gas processing industries.

A spokesman for the firm, which employs 280 in Clitheroe, said: “The company has been forced to enter consultation with workers amid some challenging market conditions for the Process Technologies business (PT), such as the low oil price and the slowdown in the Chinese economy.

“The consultation is a necessary step and an important part of our plans to ensure PT remains a competitive and market-leading business and has a strong and successful future.

“We recognise this is an unsettling time for the business and we are offering full support to our employees during this period.”

Johnson Matthey’s Process Technologies division in Clitheroe has historically been split into four divisions: Ammonia, Methanol and Gas; Tracerco; Davy Process Technology; and Refineries.

In 2002 chemicals giant ICI agreed to sell its catalyst business Synetix to Johnson Matthey to cut debts.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans suggested the consultation appears to have an inevitable conclusion.

He said: “I spoke with management and I have offered to speak with ministers from The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in order to see in which way they can help.

“I will do this in any event as this announcement does not seem to be temporary.

“It appears to have been caused by both the slow down in China and domestic markets.”