Howard Ingleson, MD of Syfer Technology.
100-plus jobs set to go as edge-of-Norwich firm plans to out-source its work to China
Kate Scotter
Thursday, November 8, 2012
4:48 PM
A Norfolk hi-tech electronics manufacturing firm has revealed plans to out-source its production work to China with the loss of more than 100 jobs locally.
Syfer Technology’s announcement has been met with anger with union Unite which has accused the Arminghall-based firm of “kicking workers in the teeth”.
If the proposals go ahead, some 120 full-time production staff could be affected by the move.
Unite has now called on the company to go back to the drawing board and consult properly with the union, which represents the majority of the workforce.
Ivan Crane, Unite’s regional officer, said: “Unite has met the company and made it clear that we would oppose this decision.
“Syfer is a profitable company we can not see any reason why it needs to relocate this work.
“Syfer’s decision is a kick in the teeth to the loyal workforce. We believe management needs to go back to the drawing board and consult properly with Unite.”
Syfer, which was taken over by the Dover Corporation (USA) in 2000, makes hi-tech electronic equipment for defence and other industries. Its non-defence work is planned to be out-sourced despite the company’s latest results showing over £5 million of profit.
The growth in profit has been put down to export sales, especially in the Far East, prompting Syfer bosses to consider taking space in an existing Dover manufacturing plant in Suzhou, a major city located in eastern China.
Managing director Howard Ingleson said: “Many of our raw materials come from that area of the world and, with much of our sales going that way too, it is right that we consider manufacturing there too. The opportunity of an existing Dover factory would also mean we could be up and running much quicker.”
Do you work for Syfer Technology? Will your job be affected? Call reporter Kate Scotter on 01603 772326 or email kate.scotter@archant.co.uk.
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35 comments
I for one would happily have seen a trade embargo on anything and everything from South East Asia and China. We have a credit fuelled economic crisis and the bulk of that borrowing was to buy goods made by minumum wage ( and at the very start by slave labour) workers in SE Asia at the cost of unemployment in the UK. I admit my grasp of economics is shaky, I know not how much the UK benefits from this balance of trade,whether manufacturing is sold out in order to help service industries. But i do know that the social consequences of cheap shoes, cheap clothes cheap crockery cutlery-everything that British workers used to make-being imported from China is that huge numbers of British people have no job or are fiddling away their time in service industries for the dwindling number of people actually earning a decent wage. If we have a dusfunctional society is is because successive governments have robbed people of secure jobs to pander to multinationals and to buy votes on the back of easy consumerism. And then lied that this is because UK workers wont work. This is without the problems that the world has stored up for itself by making China an economic world power.
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Daisy Roots
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
What a loathsome act by the management team,a very profitable business pulling out of the UK to exploit cheap labour in Asia. Very disrespectful to the loyal workforce, my Husband worked there many years ago, I feel for the current workers having their lives turned upside down by the greed of a few. The conceited smirk above says it all...
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Tiffany147
Monday, November 12, 2012
for the benefit of those who know nothing. profits for year ending dec 2011. (this american companies financial year runs year end dec 31) was 24.4 % three years ago over 30%. averaging well over 20% in last 4 years at a time when most analysts agree is the worst economic downturn since the depression. also the company has performed well with a majority input of british workers. and now with a good mix of eastern european workers alongside a core of people some of who have worked here 40 years. so congratulation to the faceless corporate elite who are happy to consign a company and over hundred workers to the scrap heap for nothing short of GREED!!!!. thank you and good night!
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con132
Monday, November 12, 2012
I know this comment is not directly about the Job losses and sorry to hear of all unfortunate workers that have given years of valuable service, and trust me I know first hand what they must be feeling....but UNITE...I think not sorry to say guy's, but I hope you get better representation than several of our ex-members of that Union had when they were so desperately needed
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Sidney
Monday, November 12, 2012
Harry Rabinowitz, every company in China has to have a party members on it's board,so indeed all firms really belong to the Communist agenda, also they pay big fat fee's to the corrupt elite.The workers earn the average pay of monthly of 3832 yuan including bonus. In pounds sterling this converts to peanuts £387.45 a month...real reason for firm moving to Suzhou.The last nuLabour government gave China millions of pounds to set up brand new factories in the form of aid, helped along by big tax breaks from the Chinese government for all the large multi internationals companies to move to China.
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nrg
Monday, November 12, 2012
I'm not having this - "British people are not a good workers (sic)" - I thought we worked longer hours and retired later than most European countries. We cannot compete with China because they employ children who live in dormitories on site. If they complain its the sack. Funny how in a Communist society the workers have zero rights.
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oldowl
Monday, November 12, 2012
I somehow, don't call Profit taken from December 2011 "Latest results". Just a thought.
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ReapnSow
Monday, November 12, 2012
Question for howard...Would you please explain to my daughter why daddy can no longer pay for her educational school trips and hobbies etc...No! didnt think so...Dont worry yourself about it Howard,il do it....slightly hard to explain when the company is making such a tidy profit dont you think....INTEGRITY!!!LOYALTY!!!!Perhaps you should look those words up and understand them yourself mate
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nonsense
Monday, November 12, 2012
Question for howard...Would you please explain to my daughter why daddy can no longer pay for her educational school trips and hobbies etc...No! didnt think so...Dont worry yourself about it Howard,il do it....slightly hard to explain when the company is making such a tidy profit dont you think....INTEGRITY!!!LOYALTY!!!!Perhaps you should look those words up and understand them yourself mate
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nonsense
Monday, November 12, 2012
Such a shame for Norwich workers. good luck unite members put up a good fight!
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bb1967
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Used to work there,last couple months monthly brief was about quaulity,quantity issues.
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ocso79
Sunday, November 11, 2012
ocso79... I was talking about the British workers that over the years turned this company into a multi million pound company it is today!!!!
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bb1967
Sunday, November 11, 2012
ocso79, please don't tar everybody with the same brush. This workforce has ensured that Syfer's American owners have made a very healthy profit. May I suggest that you do a little research before making such sweeping statements?
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Gorleston Gal
Sunday, November 11, 2012
ocso79, it’s a shame you have to make derogatory remarks about something you obviously know nothing about. It says a lot about you and your lack of intelligence, as does your poor grammar and punctuation. You clearly have no understanding of what the company has achieved over the years and how hard the people there have worked; it is a world class company because of those people. It is also a shame you didn't read the story and get your facts straight before commenting.
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Joe Bloggs
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Work hard???? It is well known that British people are not a good workers.One of the main reason that this plant going to move China is people have not done they job good enough!!
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ocso79
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Another Nail in the coffin for jobs in "GREAT" Britain! As a nation we worked hard to get where we are today, Shame on those who are too scared to say no to the fat cats in this world!!!
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bb1967
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Just remember China is a communist country and if it suited them could nationalise all foreign interests overnight and bankrupt companies like this. Once the Chinese have copied foreign technology,western companies will lose their foothold and pay a heavy price for short term gain. The Chinese are a very clever and resourceful people but the west is placing it's collective head in the dragon's mouth.
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Harry Rabinowitz
Saturday, November 10, 2012
@john smith. Just to put you right on the subject of the jobs on the olympic stadium . The last labour goverment sold out the olympics to foregn firms and workers . The official figures tell us that 87 per cent of workers on the staduim were foreign . I know you would like to blame bacon as he doesnt seem to do a lot for his MPS salery . Carry on voting for the three main parties and this is what you will get time and time again
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milecross
Friday, November 9, 2012
Yet another sell-out. Where else but China can you get cheaper chips? Hmmm - how many more??
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ThassaRummunInnit?
Friday, November 9, 2012
So talk us through again exactly why Ann Steward went to China?
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Honest John
Friday, November 9, 2012
A sad day for british manufacturing, Norwich, and the Syfer employees, sold down the river for corporate greed.
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Pillsbury
Friday, November 9, 2012
Let's hope Mr Ingleson and co don't get away with this disgusting plan. Hopefully Unite can get togeather with local MP's and business leaders and keep this highly profitable company where it belongs. Good look to the workforce and keep fighting to the end.
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Green Floor Wiper
Friday, November 9, 2012
Let's hope Mr Ingleson and co don't get away with this disgusting plan. Hopefully Unite can get togeather with local MP's and business leaders and keep this highly profitable company where it belongs. Good look to the workforce and keep fighting to the end.
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Green Floor Wiper
Friday, November 9, 2012
How ironic that a company that prides itself on being an ethical business wants to move production to a single-party state with one of the worst human rights records on the planet.
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Top Cat
Friday, November 9, 2012
How ironic that a company that prides itself on being an ethical business wants to move production to a single-party state with one of the worst human rights records on the planet.
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Top Cat
Friday, November 9, 2012
nrg, the EDL comments were a Norwich MP. Syfer is in Richard Bacon's constituency. He completely missed the sale of Lotus until it wqas too late & he's obviously not been involved in this one. He really ought to consider his position now, all he ever does is claim expenses. They've called him emperor Nero for years for good reasons. Coupled with local reduncdancies at UIniglaze and Aviva our economy is in the mire right now, it's a shame our MPs didn't even bother to get us a share of the olympics works..
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john smith
Friday, November 9, 2012
nrg, the EDL comments were a Norwich MP. Syfer is in Richard Bacon's constituency. He completely missed the sale of Lotus until it wqas too late & he's obviously not been involved in this one. He really ought to consider his position now, all he ever does is claim expenses. They've called him emperor Nero for years for good reasons. Coupled with local reduncdancies at UIniglaze and Aviva our economy is in the mire right now, it's a shame our MPs didn't even bother to get us a share of the olympics works..
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john smith
Friday, November 9, 2012
Our mp's find time to comment about the EDL thingy march, yet totally ignore the loss of 100 high tec jobs.
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nrg
Friday, November 9, 2012
This is exactly the kind of high-tech company which, politicians always tell us, must be the future for this country.
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r
Thursday, November 8, 2012
It's companies like this that have destroyed this country; never again in anyone's wildest dreams will it ever be prosperous or have full employment again. Shame on all those companies that have offshored their production and call centres abroad as they have absolutely no loyalty or morals.
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Joe Mullets Uncle
Thursday, November 8, 2012
this is nothing but pure greed. For years their workforce have been loyal. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughter's - over 100 families lives turned upside down. Wonder how much the bonus for this betrayal was Mr Ingleson?! Sleep well and hold your head high, well done... good luck unite members, give it everything you got.
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db
Thursday, November 8, 2012
this is nothing but pure greed. For years their workforce have been loyal. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughter's - over 100 families lives turned upside down. Wonder how much the bonus for this betrayal was Mr Ingleson?! Sleep well and hold your head high, well done... good luck unite members, give it everything you got.
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db
Thursday, November 8, 2012
They were lucky to keep in a job this long , you can manufacture in China much cheaper . The Chinese come 120 out of 170 in average income for countries . Britain is finished - practically nothing is made here . What is , increasingly is owned from abroad . Weetabix and Branston Pickle have been bought by foreign firms , just recently ... and the government does nothing to stop it . We`ve lost gas , electricity , short term gains leading to long term , terminal decline . SuperMac called it , " Selling the family silver ."
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dragonfly
Thursday, November 8, 2012
this is nothing but pure greed. For years their workforce have been loyal. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughter's - over 100 families lives turned upside down. Wonder how much the bonus for this betrayal was Mr Ingleson?! Sleep well and hold your head high, well done... good luck unite members, give it everything you got.
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db
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Communist China, the capitalist utopia....cheap as chips wages, with government run unions.
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nrg
Thursday, November 8, 2012