Despite announcing 13,500 job cuts worldwide, Pittsburgh-based alumina giant Alcoa says that the Jamalco bauxite refinery in Clarendon, which it owns equally with the Government, will not be immediately affected.

But the fact that Jamalco was not mentioned in the announcement does not preclude it from future cuts, stressed Alcoa spokesman Kevin Lowery during an interview with the Observer Wednesday.

Making the announcement on Tuesday, Alcoa had said that the jobs cuts – which amount to 13 per cent of its workforce in addition to cutting 1,700 contractors and reducing output by 18 per cent – were necessary to maintain competitiveness amid the global recession.

“Jamaica, every single one of our plants is looking to streamline and reduce its overall cost position, so you can’t make definite statements one way or another that nobody is going to be affected. That said, Jamaica is not included in our latest announcement Wednesday, but they will continue to look at ways to streamline their cost position,” said Lowery.

The bauxite-alumina industry has been hit hard by falling commodity prices during the past year.