Thirty jobs are to be lost at Landis Lund, of Eastburn, it was revealed this week.

The 311 workers at the machine tool manufacturer's plant were told of the redundancies at a meeting on Monday morning.

Managing director Roger Coverdale said: "The redundancies were announced yesterday but they won't actually be made for at least 30 days.

"Due to the continuing recession in the world's automotive industry, Landis Lund is currently looking to re-size the company.

"Early last year, Landis Grinding Systems, of which Landis Lund is a part with the US-based Landis Gardner, consolidated its heavy machining facility into the Eastburn factory."

He added: "Landis Lund is now re-assessing its resources to suit the current market for grinding machines required by global automotive customers.

"Although 30 job losses are forecast, the company has a reasonable order book, but requires some cost reductions to remain competitive."

Landis Lund is a part of the US-based Unova Group and manufactures precision grinding machines for the world's automotive industry.

It currently employs about 311 people at its Keighley base.

Mr Coverdale said: "The company very much regrets the current necessity for job reductions.

"The American and European market places are currently depressed, but the company has significant business in the growing China market.

"However, it does see a longer-term improvement in business prospects.

"There will hopefully be some voluntary redundancies and we can move on from this. I'm quite confident about the long-term future."

Last September more than 200 workers walked out on the company in strike action to secure a pay award.

The September picket line involved all sections of the workforce and involved members of Amicus, AEEU and MSF and the GMB unions.

Trade union bosses then claimed that company management had offered pay awards if workers signed away their trade union membership.

They said the plan backfired when four times as many workers joined the unions than had left.

Amicus steward Lionel Whiteley said this week: "We can never be happy with redundancies, but it is no great surprise because of the recent loss of orders.

"We hope the company will survive because there are few engineering companies about now, which makes it harder for redundant workers to find work elsewhere.

"We have a further meeting with management this week to discuss arrangements for the redundancies."