The early April announcement that Dunlop would close the plant came as a “body blow,” to workers, the Sunderland Echo reported, as it followed a similar announcement at nearby Stag Furniture. Dunlop said it is continuing to work alongside Sunderland Council and One North East to help the workers find new employment through the JobCentre.
A Dunlop spokesman paid tribute to the workers’ dedication since the closure was confirmed. “The workforce at Washington has done a superb job during the last [few] months in difficult circumstances. They have maintained a high level of production, and we would like to pay tribute to their dedication,” he said.
As the plant closed earlier than expected, workers received extra paid leave in addition to their redundancy payments.
