THE global boss of a firm where up to 150 workers face the axe next week has apologised for writing to them about how well the company performed last year.

The workforce at Tetra Pak, based on Wrexham Industrial Estate, will learn on Monday morning how many jobs will be lost as a result of the carton company’s plan to end production at the factory.

As the formal 90-day consultation period comes to an end it is feared that as many as 150 – half the workforce – will go, with just 135 being retained on site.

With this cloud hanging over them employees were furious to read in a letter just sent to them by Tetra Pak’s global chief executive Dennis Jonnson how well the organisation had been doing in markets across the world.

Company spokesman Rupert Maitland-Titterton said: “In the letter Mr Jonnson referred to 2010 having been a very successful year for Tetra Pak at an international level.

“However he was first to realise that this could seem a little insensitive with what is going on in Wrexham and has apologised.

“The apology was open and quick and was sent in the form of an e-mail to the workforce.

“I understand that his apology was accepted.”

Workers affected by the closure plan will be invited to a crunch meeting at the factory at 9am on Monday.

They will find out then how many of them are to lose their jobs and be given details of re-training schemes to be provided by the company.

Workers were given the bombshell news of the redundancy plan at the end of last September.

In a statement, the company put the situation down mainly to market changes which had resulted in many products now being offered in other packaging formats.

The statement added: “Historically, Tetra Pak has replaced these losses by supplying export markets from the Wrexham site, which equated to approximately 50 per cent of total production in 2009.

“However, from 2011, Wrexham will no longer be required to support these markets as local factories – particularly in Russia and the Middle East – can now provide for their own needs.

“While there are many exciting opportunities within the UK and Irish markets, these volumes alone cannot sustain dedicated production in Wrexham.”