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Wall’s sausages maker Kerry Foods to shut down Staffordshire factory – 900 jobs at risk

WALL’S sausages maker Kerry Foods has unveiled plans to shut down a factory in Staffordshire with 900 jobs at risk of being axed after Tesco changed supplier.

 

The food manufacturer has earmarked a site in Burton-upon-Trent for closure after the company lost a contract to supply ready-made meals to the supermarket giant. Trades union Unite estimated “90 percent of the work” at the factory came from production for Tesco, who had been working with Kerry Foods for 19 years. The food company failed to secure another contract with the supermarket after Tesco decided to use another supplier in October 2018. Unite will meet with Kerry Foods this Friday to discuss the proposed closure, which would see the factory shut in September.

Kerry Foods said its priority is to “support all employees” as Unite described the plan as “a crushing blow for the regional economy”.

Unite’s regional officer Rick Coyle said: “This is a calamity for Burton as Kerry Foods is the town’s biggest employer.

“It is heartbreaking for the workforce, their families and, more widely, a crushing blow for the regional economy.

 

Mr Coyle said he had been in touch with brewer Molson Coors, the town’s second largest employer, to discuss employment opportunities for those affected.

He continued: “The problem going forward is that there are not that many well-paid jobs in Burton and the vicinity to replace those that will be lost at the end of August.

“We have been in touch with Molson Coors to explore employment opportunities there.

“Also, we will help arrange a jobs fair at the site and assist our members with their CVs and advice on updating their skills.”

Read More – www.express.co.uk