Member Article

Warburtons warn of 28 job cuts

Family firm, Warburtons, has announced that 28 jobs are under threat at its bakery in Bolton, after a £1m investment into automated packing machines made some operative positions obsolete.

A fall in demand for bread rolls was also cited as a reason for the company’s “difficult decision” to enter a consultation period, that will put all of its 111 Bolton employees at risk of redundancy.

A 30 day deliberation period began on Monday after employees were notified of the potential action on 26th February.

Warburtons said the decision had to be made to support the future of the business and “maximise our manufacturing capacity and produce our products more efficiently.”

Jonathan Warburton, chairman and chief executive commented: “Making tough decisions like this, which have a big impact on people’s lives, is not easy for a family business to make.

“But we must act as a responsible business and be prepared to take these tough decisions, at the right time, so we can ensure Warburtons remains competitive and has a successful future.

“The proposed changes are designed to make our manufacturing operations more efficient and flexible to help better meet the ever changing demands of our customers and consumers across the UK.

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

The firm said in a statement it will continue to invest in new technology and meet the changing needs of consumers.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .