Britain’s army of food and drink manufacturing staff have been put on red alert after first-quarter threats to hundreds of jobs.
Union chiefs are locked into negotiations with company bosses after soft drinks and canned goods giant Princes said it could soon be shedding up to 200 jobs.
Meanwhile Masterfoods has refused to quell rumours that it plans to shut one of its two factories in Slough.
Princes said it was considering proposals to shut its Kidlington juice factory and scale down activities at its soft drinks factory in Shieldhall, Glasgow. The closure would result in the loss of 110 jobs at Kidlington as production switched to a larger site in Manchester. Another 88 jobs would be lost at Glasgow as bottled carbonates production switched to Bradford. However, the canning facility at the Glasgow plant would remain, safeguarding 31 jobs, said a spokesman.
“The trading environment has deteriorated since we bought Kidlington from Dairy Crest in 2003. Our Bradford and Manchester sites are larger more efficient facilities,” he said.
Usdaw divisional officer Bruce Fraser said: “This is a devastating blow to a very successful workforce. Our task is
to make sure they get the best possible redundancy packages and ensure that the remaining jobs are secured long term.”
Masterfoods, which makes Mars and Twix, has told staff that it is launching a pan-European consultation to address sales growth. This has led to concerns that it may close one Slough site.
An insider said the company would close its Liverpool Road site in Slough before the lease ends in 2015, and plans to extend its neighbouring Dundee Road plant to incorporate a new cooling processor.
Many of the 1,500 staff are angry the company has not updated them about their future.
Frank Loveday, an organiser for the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union, said: “They are upset and uncertain because no-one has made a full commitment about this.
“But I do think that the first people that should know are the workers so in that way I do agree with them for not releasing a statement yet.”
Sonya Hook & Elaine Watson
Union chiefs are locked into negotiations with company bosses after soft drinks and canned goods giant Princes said it could soon be shedding up to 200 jobs.
Meanwhile Masterfoods has refused to quell rumours that it plans to shut one of its two factories in Slough.
Princes said it was considering proposals to shut its Kidlington juice factory and scale down activities at its soft drinks factory in Shieldhall, Glasgow. The closure would result in the loss of 110 jobs at Kidlington as production switched to a larger site in Manchester. Another 88 jobs would be lost at Glasgow as bottled carbonates production switched to Bradford. However, the canning facility at the Glasgow plant would remain, safeguarding 31 jobs, said a spokesman.
“The trading environment has deteriorated since we bought Kidlington from Dairy Crest in 2003. Our Bradford and Manchester sites are larger more efficient facilities,” he said.
Usdaw divisional officer Bruce Fraser said: “This is a devastating blow to a very successful workforce. Our task is
to make sure they get the best possible redundancy packages and ensure that the remaining jobs are secured long term.”
Masterfoods, which makes Mars and Twix, has told staff that it is launching a pan-European consultation to address sales growth. This has led to concerns that it may close one Slough site.
An insider said the company would close its Liverpool Road site in Slough before the lease ends in 2015, and plans to extend its neighbouring Dundee Road plant to incorporate a new cooling processor.
Many of the 1,500 staff are angry the company has not updated them about their future.
Frank Loveday, an organiser for the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union, said: “They are upset and uncertain because no-one has made a full commitment about this.
“But I do think that the first people that should know are the workers so in that way I do agree with them for not releasing a statement yet.”
Sonya Hook & Elaine Watson
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