Nearly 300 jobs at risk at Dow site in south Wales, company confirms

Daniel Bevan - Senior Journalist

Nearly 300 jobs are at risk at the Dow site in South Wales after Unite the Union received notice that the company will be shutting down the Basics area of its Barry plant.

In a statement, the siloxanes manufacture said “outcome to close basics siloxanes operations in Barry would be likely to affect 291 employees at the Barry Site, over the next 3-4 years”.

Unite says a consultation is underway and that the closure is expected to be “long and protracted,” with no dismissals anticipated until mid-2026.

A spokesperson for Dow said: “As part of Dow’s assessment of its European assets, the Company has identified the basics siloxanes operations at Barry, U.K. among other upstream portions of Dow’s portfolio that will require further action.

“The potential outcome identified at this time for Dow’s basics siloxanes operations at Barry is a shutdown. The potential outcome to close basics siloxanes operations in Barry would be likely to affect 291 employees at the Barry Site, over the next 3-4 years.

“Siloxanes production is one of several manufacturing facilities and operations at our Barry site, which in total employs approximately 850 employees and contractors.

“This potential shutdown would help strengthen the Company’s competitive position in the specialty silicones market in Europe and the U.K. The production of specialty silicones in Barry will continue, supporting key markets such as automotive, electronics, energy, construction, and personal care.”

Unite regional officer Richard Jackson said: “Unite is calling on Dow to reconsider its decision and work with us, government and other stakeholders to find an alternative solution to this closure as the loss of so many well-paid jobs in the area will be devastating, not just to our members and their families, but to the local economy as well.

“Unite is also calling on Dow to work with the union in order to avoid compulsory redundancies where possible and to seek to protect as many jobs as possible to support future operations.”

Concerns over job losses in South Wales began when Dow announced plans in January to make $1 billion in cost savings.

The statement said: “Dow expects to achieve the majority of the $1 billion in cost savings on an annual run-rate through:

“$500 million to $700 million reduction in direct costs, primarily focused on purchased services and third-party contract labour and decreased labour costs, including through a workforce reduction of approximately 1,500 Dow roles globally.”

Dow describes itself as “one of the world’s leading materials science companies,” serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility, and consumer applications.

The US-based firm operates manufacturing sites in 30 countries and employs around 36,000 people globally. Dow estimates it delivered sales of $43 billion in 2024.