Temporary lay-offs at Brookfield plant, Canada

Lafarge Canada plans to layoff 31 of about 50 unionised workers at its Brookfield plant in Nova Scotia during December as part of a cost-cutting measure.

Plant manager, Scarth MacDonnell told the Herald Business that the lay-off is consistent with the seasonal nature of demand given the “weather-related impact of the construction industry.”

However, he confirmed that the workers will be back on-site early next year and also expressed his confidence on the plant’s future. In 2010, Lafarge received US$670,000 from the ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change to produce a variety of low-carbon cements which are scheduled to be in production by 2015. The move will help the company reduce the clinker factor by over 20 per cent and cut GHG emissions by 76,000tpa.