THE leader of Wiltshire Council has said that he still hasn’t received a further update about the Dyson redundancies and that the lack of information is “becoming quite frustrating”.
The engineering company is the main employer in Malmesbury and announced on Tuesday, July 9, that it planned to cut up to a third of its UK workforce, which would mean 1,000 potential redundancies.
Leader of the council Richard Clewer described his current situation as involving “guesswork”.
He said: “We still don’t know the number of people or where they are based.
Sir James Dyson faced criticism for moving the global head office of his company from Britain to Singapore in 2019 after championing the economic benefits of Brexit. (Image: PA)
“They haven’t sent the information to Government either.”
Cllr Clewer explained: “We don’t know how many are Wiltshire residents.
He added: “It could be the majority of them live in Bristol, I just don’t know, and that doesn’t help.”
Although details surrounding the redundancies are unclear, Cllr Clewer noted that online discussion indicated that it could affect the software engineers.
He said: “It’s absurd that as leader of the council, I’m dealing with online rumour rather than something definite on something of this scale.”
Wiltshire Council has written to Dyson to ask for further information and to request it is shared with the government.
According to Cllr Clewer, the current situation is making it harder to “coordinate a response”.
The firm, best known for inventing the bagless vacuum cleaner, has said it is responding to "increasingly fierce and competitive global markets" and ensuring it is “prepared for the future”.
Dyson CEO Hanno Kirner said the company would support those at risk of redundancy.
Mr Kirner said: “We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future.
"As such, we are proposing changes to our organisation, which may result in redundancies."
He added: “Decisions which impact close and talented colleagues are always incredibly painful.
"Those whose roles are at risk of redundancy as a result of the proposals will be supported through the process.”
This comes after founder Sir James Dyson faced criticism for moving the global head office of his company from Britain to Singapore in 2019 after championing the economic benefits of Brexit.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2024, he is the fifth-richest person in the United Kingdom, with an estimated net worth of £20.8 billion.
Earlier this year, the government approved a £6 million donation from Sir James to allow a Malmesbury primary school to construct a new science, technology, engineering, art and maths centre.
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