AROUND 45 people are to be made redundant at the Belfast company Alexander's, as part of an attempt to save the business from closure.

Alexander's, which employs 230 people making bus bodies for customers throughout Britain and Ireland, is part of the Walter Alexander Group, whose main manufacturing plant is in Falkirk, Scotland.

Two years ago, the group was taken over by the Mayflower Corporation, which makes the body shells for the new MG sports car, and has also been involved in the design of the Aston Martin DB7, the Mazda MXS and the Land Rover Discovery.

Workers at Alexander's factory at Mallusk, north of Belfast, were told last week that a decision by the Mayflower Group to close down its Northern Ireland operation had been deferred after management came up with an alternative plan.

This will involve a radical restructuring of the Mallusk plant, including the loss of 45 jobs.

The chief executive Mr Bill Cameron said the job losses were a necessary part of the survival plan for the company, and that there would have to be other fundamental changes, such as an end to demarcation, and the introduction of more flexible working practices.

"The answer lies in your hands," Mr Cameron told a mass meeting of workers on Friday morning. "Management has done everything possible to keep this plant open. I am convinced that if there is a commitment to make things work, then together we can do it.

He said that since the takeover by the Mayflower Corporation, the Belfast firm had made considerable progress, with the introduction of comprehensive restructuring. But a declining order book, and its failure to make any consistent contribution to company profits, could not be allowed to continue.

Alexander's plans to concentrate its efforts on potential export markets, as part of its rationalisation plan.