AROUND 70 jobs are to go and hundreds of workers will have their hours cut at a manufacturing plant in North Lanarkshire.

US truck builder Terex said it regretted reducing staff numbers but a drop in business meant it had been forced to restructure.

The firm has now launched a consultation, and workers will initially be offered voluntary redundancy, while the majority of the 590 employees will be moved to a part-time rota.

Paul Douglas, general manager of the plant at Newhouse, said: "It is with regret that we have to make this announcement.

"We fully understand the important role Terex plays in providing employment in the Lanarkshire community. My management team and I are working hard to limit the effect the downturn is having on our business and our team members but, unfortunately, the orders for trucks are not coming in which means we cannot continue to operate at the level we have been.

"Reducing team member numbers and a shorter working week is an inevitable part of the actions to provide stability and to help secure the future of the facility in Motherwell."

A spokesman for Unite said it will try to defend its members' interests.

Michael McMahon MSP, who began an apprenticeship at Terex Equipment in 1977 and worked there for 15 years, said: "Terex is still a significant employer in Lanarkshire but given the current trading conditions it is unable to sustain the current workforce."