Talks aimed at saving some of the 200 jobs being lost at the Dewhirst ladieswear factory in west Wales begin on Monday.

The meeting was postponed last Wednesday after one of the workforce at Fishguard died suddenly.

Colleagues decided to close the factory until Monday as a mark of respect for the woman, who had worked there for 30 years.

The factory makes trousers for M&S

Up to 200 jobs will be lost when the site - the last of Dewhirst's factories in Wales - shuts its doors.

Dewhirst has made a strategic decision to withdraw from manufacturing in Wales in a move to increase profits.

A 90-day consultation period at Fishguard is set to begin, during which time all agencies involved in the operation will search for an alternative to closing the site.

However, union officials have admitted they are unlikely to succeed given the previous closures of Dewhirst's other factory sites.

Dewhirst is the latest in a long line of employers to pull out of west Wales.

In May, ITV Digital closed its call centre in Pembroke Dock with the loss of 900 jobs and in 1995, 500 were made redundant when the armaments depot at Trecwn closed down.

Rhodri Morgan pledged help for workforce

First Minister Rhodri Morgan told BBC Wales that the assembly would search far and wide to find replacement jobs.

Efforts will focus on helping jobs elsewhere for the staff from Fishguard and Dewhirst plants in Cardigan, and Swansea.

"We have got to devise a plan in order to find alternative clothing suppliers who will want to utilise the workforce, or devise an alternative future away from the clothing industry," he said.

Dewhirst makes clothes for Marks & Spencer and has been badly affected by the withdrawal of orders by the company.

Regrets

The latest losses bring the total number of Dewhirst job losses in Wales to around 1,400.

In a statement the company said it regretted the move.

It said continued consumer pressure on prices had affected profitability.

GMB spokesperson Emily Thomas said the union would be looking for meetings with the Welsh Assembly to assist the workers.

"We will spend the 90-day consultation period trying to work out every way for them to keep their jobs or get trained for other jobs - they're a highly skilled workforce," she said.

The GMB wants manufacturers and the government to develop strategies to save jobs in the sector, including getting contracts for public sector worker uniforms such as nurses, emergency and military staff.