Union Set to Take on Global Giant in Battle to Save Peterlee Factory...

NSK Bearings in Peterlee could be set to close with the loss of up to 400 jobs.

North East Workers Pay the Price, as Global Car Giants Abandon UK Manufacturing due to high energy costs, with Unions saying they'll fight to save the near 400 jobs which will be lost.

12th November 2025

The fight is on to save two major County Durham factories after Japanese owner NSK announced plans to close its NSK Bearings and AKS Precision Ball sites in Peterlee — a move that would wipe out around 400 skilled local jobs and end nearly 50 years of manufacturing in the town.

Unite the Union, representing the affected workforce, has issued a damming statement in response to the proposed closures, calling the shutdowns a “complete mistake” and a “betrayal” of loyal workers who have consistently hit performance targets and helped keep the factories competitive.

The two plants, which supply bearings to Volkswagen, Renault, Nissan and several other major car manufacturers, produce components used in both petrol and electric vehicles. Unite argues that despite global changes in the automotive market, bearings will remain essential regardless of whether vehicles are powered by combustion engines or batteries.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:“This is a complete betrayal by NSK of its County Durham workforce, who have broken their backs hitting performance targets that they were told would keep their factories safe.There is a viable business case for keeping these sites open — and Unite will fight tooth and nail for that to happen.”

Unite’s national officer Steve Bush echoed those concerns, saying the closures were entirely unnecessary:

“NSK doesn’t need to close these factories, and Unite will be forcefully making that point during consultations. Ensuring their future should be a no-brainer for the government, as bearings will still be needed for cars long after diesel and petrol engines have been phased out.”

The union is now calling on the Labour Government to intervene to help safeguard jobs in the region’s automotive supply chain, which has been under intense pressure due to Brexit red tape, high energy costs, as well as the slow transition from traditional engine parts to electric vehicle components.

Unite says the closures would be another devastating blow to the regions already fragile economy, which continues to struggle with the decline of its industrial base and years of under-investment.

“Once again, alarm bells are ringing for ministers to urgently put a comprehensive plan together to support the UK automotive industry and its supply chain through this turbulent transition,” Bush added.

The Peterlee sites have long been viewed as part of the region’s industrial backbone, employing generations of local families since the 1970s. If the closures go ahead, NSK plans to shut both sites by March 2027.

But Unite insists the fight has only just begun.