Wyndeham Group enters consultation with Impact staff

The 30-day consultation began yesterday (1 September) at the magazine cover plant, with closure expected during October 2011.

If the closure goes ahead, the company will transfer production to its other web offset facilities.

Wyndeham Group chief operating officer Roy Kingston: "Following our acquisition of the St Ives Web companies in April this year, we now have a choice of other web offset cover printing operations.

"After reviewing Wyndeham Impact’s financial performance, along with other principal factors such as the requirements of our customers, our manufacturing capacities, and the cost of production, it shows that the business is not sustainable as a stand-alone entity.

"We have reviewed a range of options to find an economic solution that would make the company viable. So far, we have been unable to find a workable business model."

Wyndeham Impact's management team have been at loggerheads with employees for the last four months. Weekly walkouts began on 6 May, increasing from four to five hours the following month.

Strikes continued to run for 14 weeks prior to yesterday's announcement, with neither side willing to budge on demands.