WORKERS at a doomed Newport cable-making firm are expecting to hear further details about job losses this week.

Pirelli Cables, formerly Standard Telephones and Cables, a long-established employer in Newport, last week announced it was to close its Wednesbury Street premises, off Corporation Road, with the loss of 200 jobs.

The plant is expected to close by the end of July. Since the announcement was made, the factory has been on Easter shutdown, with no-one available to comment from management.

Mike Evans, a worker at the factory for 13 years, said he is expecting to hear more details about losing his job by the end of the week.

Mr Evans, of Plym Walk, Bettws, said: "More than 120 people were made redundant last year and we knew the factory was in dire straits. We haven't had any letters yet. We will probably get them this week."

Mr Evans said as far as he knew the unions were told about the job losses one hour before the workforce attended a meeting to be informed of the closure.

It is understood the unions have not complained about how Pirelli has acted and many workers were not surprised by the news.

The closure of the factory is being blamed on a struggling world-wide market for high-spec optical fibre cable made by the company. Compared with last year orders are said to be 80 per cent down.

The company says that 59 shop -floor and 39 management posts may be offered to people willing to relocate to its site in Southampton.

But Mr Evans said it would be doubtful if he would apply for a job in Hampshire. He said: "I have a young family and a mortgage. If it goes pear-shaped there, I will be in another mess."

Newport East MP Alan Howarth has written to ELWa (Education and Learning Wales) and the Benefits Agency asking that the same support is given to the workers as those at Corus received when it announced its job losses last year.