O-ring producer Trelleborg has laid off 18 temporary workers due to the slump in the car industry, prompting the General Workers Union to call for an urgent meeting to discuss the company’s future.

We hope this is not the start of something more serious

Eight operators had their contracts prematurely terminated yesterday. A week earlier, the company failed to renew the contracts of another 10 employees, bringing the number of redundant workers to 18.

When contacted, Trelleborg’s CEO Martin Hignett said the lay-offs were the result of major reductions in car purchases leading to a significant drop in orders from companies like Bosch which had reduced its working hours on Friday.

Mr Hignett said this was not the result of Malta’s competitiveness but the nature of the car industry and the company’s exposure to Germany.

Asked whether more lay-offs were to be expected, he said the company had a visibility of five or six weeks but was reviewing temporary contracts in response to changes in orders.

GWU general secretary Tony Zarb told The Times the union wanted a meeting to discuss the company’s future from a holistic perspective.

He said the company was citing the international recession as the reason for the lay-offs – as it had done in 2008 when it sacked 25 employees.

“We hope this is not the start of something more serious,” said Mr Zarb.

Trelleborg – which employs hundreds of people – was given Government assistance in 2009 to prevent it from shedding 150 jobs.