The US-owned aluminium company announced on 19 November that it plans to shut its north Wales plant at Dolgarrog and shed jobs at its plant in Swansea, south Wales.

The plant is due to close next summer

The majority (189) of the jobs which will be lost at the Dolgarrog works of the firm which makes aluminium sheeting for the aircraft industry.

Bosses blame the job losses on the downturn in air travel and a consequent drop in demand.

The firm has launched a 90-day consultation with its staff and wants many of them to stay on to complete orders on its books.

But their prospects have been taken up by the area's politicians and the top Alcoa executives have met the MP and AM for Meirionneth Nant Conwy MP, Elfyn Llwyd and Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, and the chief executive of Conwy Council to discuss the situation.

Alcoa has declined to comment on the discussion but the Conwy Valley delegation is holding a meeting with the workers in Dolgarrog Community Centre.

Sprawling operation

The Alcoa announcement was the first of two blows to the Welsh industrial sector in the space of two days.

On November 20 the stationery manufacturer Rexel said it is to close its plant at Llangeinor in the Ogmore Vale, south Wales, next June with the loss of 125 jobs.

Alcoa's Welsh job losses are part of 6,500 cuts from its 140,000-strong worldwide workforce in an attempt to streamline its sprawling operations.

The company said that about 40 of its 500 locations - spread across 38 countries - will be affected.