Wood panel workers in protest at biomass subsidy

ALL the workers at two Scottish wood panel factories are expected to walk out today as part of a Europe-wide protest over government subsidies for the biomass industry.

Norbord - which has plants at Cowie, in Stirlingshire, and at Morayhill, near Inverness - claims that biomass operators are buying up the wood used to make panels, forcing up prices.

The firm said the subsidies biomass firms were receiving from governments could drive panel producers out of Europe, putting 8,700 jobs at risk in the UK alone.

Karl Morris, managing director of Norbord Europe, said: "We are not anti-biomass. However the current subsidy regime means wood panel manufacturers are seeing wood prices being driven up and shortages in supply of its primary raw material."

Alan Roy, Unite branch chairman at the Cowie plant, said: "The fact panel producers throughout the UK are shutting down for one hour today, shows unprecedented co-operation."