CHEMICAL workers on Teesside, who switched employers just weeks ago, are to lose their jobs.

Ineos, which took over ICI's Chlor chemicals business at Wilton in January, is to close the two plants with the loss of more than 100 jobs.

Ineos director Russ Whelan said: "It is regrettable that we have to cut jobs in order to reduce costs at the business.

"We shall seek to reduce the numbers through voluntary means, but this may not be possible in all cases."

The two Teesside plants being axed make ingredients that go into pharmaceuticals and PVC plastic products. The sites will close in 2002.

Ineos is also axing 450 jobs from its 1,650-strong workforce at Runcorn in Cheshire.

Mike Brider, the Transport and General Workers Union's regional organiser, said the workforce had been betrayed.

He said: "Ineos has had to do ICI's dirty work. People were given guarantees about job security by ICI, which it turned out Ineos could not deliver."

"This is symptomatic of ICI's woeful track record of investment in its Teesside businesses. "

l Ineos bought ICI's Crossfield and Klea businesses in a deal worth £325m.

The deal brought to an end the three-year disposal programme of the chemicals giant which used to employ more than 30,000 people on Teesside, but now employs fewer than 1,000