Pilkington managers have assured MPs for St Helens, where the UK glass manufacturer is headquartered, that the firm plans to stay there for a "very long time" following the takeover by Japan's Nippon Sheet Glass. Pilkington CE Stuart Chambers told St Helens MPs Dave Watts & Shaun Woodward that the future of the company's plants is safe & that employees' pensions rights are protected. In their first round of talks since the completion of a £1.8BN takeover deal, Mr Watts said they were told the "takeover was in the best interests of both Pilkington's shareholders & its employees". Pilkington employs 1,780 people at seven sites in north-west England although there are plans to close the Triplex plant in Eccleston in 2007. This is expected to result in the loss of around 100 jobs.
