According to reports, ALVANCE British Aluminium announced on Tuesday this week that it will be scaling back its workforce on a permanent basis.

An ALVANCE British Aluminium spokesman said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has compounded an already difficult commercial environment for aluminium. Given the continued impact of the virus and uncertainty around post-Brexit trade talks, the market is likely to remain challenging for up to 18 months.

"With regret, we therefore have made the difficult decision to begin a consultation on reducing the workforce at the Lochaber smelter. We will be proposing a reduction of around 15 to 18 jobs.

"As a responsible employer, we need to balance the welfare of our people with the need to protect the long-term sustainability of the Lochaber smelter, which is a vital piece of Scotlands industrial infrastructure and valuable contributor to the regional economy.

We will provide appropriate support to those affected including looking at employment opportunities elsewhere through GFG Workforce Solutions, a redeployment vehicle operated by our parent organisation, GFG Alliance."

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The continued impact of COVID-19 and the uncertainty around Brexit is - Aluminium Today