NESTLE is cutting up to 27 per cent of its Blue Riband workforce as it moves production to Poland – which will hit the firm’s Girvan operation.
This will mean the loss of seven manufacturing jobs out of 49 from the South Ayrshire site.
The move to eastern Europe will also hit jobs across the rest of the UK – including York, Halifax and Newcastle, resulting in 268 lay-offs, despite Nestle chiefs offering assurances on “radical cost-cutting” at its AGM earlier this month.
Nestle’s CEO Ulf Mark Schneider had said many companies are “focusing on radical cost-cutting to deliver higher profits in the short-term”. However, he added this approach was “not sustainable”.
Just a few days later the company announced production of the iconic Blue Riband bar would be moving to Poland.
Now 31 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling on the government to intervene and work with MPs, trades unions GMB and Unite and the company to avert the job losses.
Eamon O’Hearn, GMB National Officer, said: “If this isn’t radical cost-cutting I don’t know what is. How can Mr Schneider say one thing at the AGM, then announce these shocking cuts just days later?
“Nestle claims these job cuts are not the result of Brexit and have been in the pipeline for a long time.
“If that’s the case, the company has shown utter disrespect to GMB and Unite, as our members – their staff – heard nothing until this week.”
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