Workers at the Essentra filter manufacturing plant in Jarrow may strike to save as many as 220 jobs at the facility that could be closed by the end of the year, the Shields Gazette said.

Essentra in early July said the plant, which has made cigarette filters since the 1940s, is a candidate for closure, with production shifted to a facility in Hungary. A vaping device testing facility and learning centre on the site would not be affected by the filter plant shutdown, Essentra said at the time.
A 45-day consultation period was being held prior to confirmation of the move, the Gazette said on its website. Unite regional officer Mark Sanderson was quoted saying everything, including possible industrial action, would be undertaken to save jobs in Jarrow. Filter plant workers have been told they may be out of work by autumn, with full closure by December, the newspaper said.