Warburtons set to close bakery

UNDER threat: Warburtons Bakery in Shaw is set to close

174 jobs under threat
BREAD-MAKER Warburtons is planning to close its Shaw site with the potential loss of 174 jobs.

All employees were told yesterday the 73-year-old factory is under a 90-day consultation period.

Last year Warburtons became the second highest selling grocery brand name with sales worth £706 million — but the local bakery has been earmarked for closure to improve its manufacturing and distribution operations, bosses say.

One employee at the Glebe Street site, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Everybody is absolutely gutted.

“I, like some other colleagues, thought there would be some redundancies, but I never thought it would be on this scale.

“We have been told we are on 90 days notice, so basically I am out of a job.”

The company said if the closure is implemented, it will strive to reduce redundancies and find alternative jobs within the business wherever possible.

The firm, which employs approximately 5,000 staff at 14 different bakeries and 15 depots across the country, revealed it has liaised closely with unions representing the employees, URTU and BFAWU.

Robert Higginson, managing director of Warburtons, said: “To close a bakery is the most difficult decision a family firm like Warburtons can take.

“We appreciate how tough a period this is for our employees in Shaw and we will work closely with them and their representatives to discuss our proposal and explore all available options.

“The proposed changes are designed to improve our manufacturing and distribution operations which will help us better meet the demands of our customers and consumers across the UK.”

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: “This is a very worrying situation for all the staff at Warburtons, especially as compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out.

“I have spoken to Mr Higginson today to voice my concerns and have requested a visit to the site as soon as possible to meet the management, workers and unions.

“I am concerned that this decision is one taken with the shareholders’ profit margins in mind and not the wellbeing of the workforce and their families.

“Oldham, and indeed the wider north of the country, cannot afford to keep taking these sorts of hits.

“Without a meaningful growth policy from this Government, Warburtons have had to make a decision about where the future growth of the economy will be.

“They have seen demand grow in the south and their investment plans have reflected this. Once again growth and investment seems to be going south and the coalition government just sits idly by allowing this trend to continue.”

Shaw councillor and former leader of Oldham Council, Howard Sykes, called the news a “great shame”.

He said the council is hoping to help the affected staff in the near future.

He said: “I have been in talks with the council to provide support to the employees with benefits advice and to try and get these people back into work, like we did when Slumberland in Royton closed down.

“Some of these people will have never been unemployed in their lives.”

A range of partnership agencies as well as the Slumberland Human Resource Team designed a support package to provide employment-related support and training, when the bed making company closed down in 2008.