UNIONS will fight to try to reduce the numbers to go in Burnley's latest jobs blow.

Car exhaust makers Tenneco-Walker (UK) Ltd added to Burnley's redundancy gloom by announcing that 69 from the 251-strong workforce face redundancy.

The company hopes that volunteers will significantly reduce the number of compulsory redundancies but Amalgamated Engineering Union regional officer Mike Cooney said he still hoped that the total number could be cut back.

A similar situation at aerospace engineers Hurel-Dubois, while still not settled, would result in significantly fewer job losses than the original 90 there. The latest losses follow Tenneco Automotive restructuring and the move of all UK replacement exhausts, not made for production-line cars, to continental Europe.

A statement issued by the company said: "Although these changes may be difficult in the short term, ultimately they will enable Tenneco-Walker (UK) to provide higher levels of service to customers while establishing a solid foundation for future business growth.''

Mr Cooney, a former Burnley councillor, said Burnley seemed to be losing out to continental Europe with the loss of Prestige to a continental manufacturer and now the loss of part of the Tenneco-Walker work to Europe.

Some jobs losses at the Liverpool Road plant in Rosegrove, Burnley, had been anticipated for some time and workers are said to be upset and disappointed at the redundancy news.

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