Bakkavor: Sutton Bridge and Leicester factories close
Forced “decisive action” taken in order to meet the “difficult macroeconomic conditions”
Bakkavor said it was proposing to close Bakkavor Salads in Sutton Bridge and Bakkavor Desserts in Leicester so that each factory would employ about 450 people. This decision endangers 900 workers. Unione Unite said it would try to keep layoffs to a minimum.
In total, Bakkavor has about 15,800 employees in 29 offices in the UK. Its products, including dishes, soups, sauces, salads, desserts, pizzas and breads, are sold in Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose supermarkets.
Mike Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Bakkavor, said the company will do “everything we can to support our employees during this difficult time.” “The decision to shut down any project is never taken lightly, and we do not underestimate the impact this announcement has on our colleagues and the communities in which we operate,” the company’s management added.
Unite regional spokesman Ravinder Assi said: “Unite will support our members at the affected Bakkavor sites in light of these plans. We will liaise with the company to keep layoffs to a minimum and offer alternate employment at other sites where possible.”
Bakkavor added that a 45-day consultation period with affected employees will now begin.
