Greggs to cut 100 more jobs claims union

25-Jan-2017 - Last updated on 27-Jan-2017 at 12:10 GMT

Greggs's restructuring could put 100 jobs at risk in Scotland, a union claimed

Greggs could cut 100 jobs in Scotland, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) has claimed, after the high street baker confirmed a nationwide restructuring plan earlier this week, which unions claimed could threaten up to 120 jobs in Wales.

The baker planned to restructure its Clydesmill, South Lanarkshire bakery into a distribution hub, it said. The union claimed the proposal meant 100 jobs were at risk.

Usdaw national officer Dave Gill said: “Greggs’s bakery staff are now very concerned about the future after this announcement. Usdaw will now enter into consultation talks with the company, where we will interrogate the business case for their proposals.

‘Save as many jobs as possible’

“Our priorities are to save as many jobs as possible, maximise employment in the business and seek the best possible deal for our members. In the meantime, we are providing our members with the representation, support and advice they need at this difficult and uncertain time.”

Greggs’s manufacturing and distribution restructuring was part of its planned £100M supply chain investment, said the firm. The proposal would help it to “compete effectively in the growing food-on-the-go market”, it said.

A Greggs spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Our proposal is that Clydesmill becomes a combined distribution and production centre of excellence with increased shop distribution capacity for Scotland and production focused on certain products. We have entered a period of consultation regarding these proposals with our people.”

The business neither confirmed nor denied the union’s claim that 100 jobs were at risk.

Series of planned job cuts

The proposed shake-up was the latest in a series of planned job cuts, earlier this week.

Between 91 and 120 jobs were at risk in Greggs’s Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, bakery, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) claimed earlier this week. Doughnut and confectionery production would be transferred to other bakeries so the Treforest site could be used to increase distribution capacity, Greggs said.

Greggs was also planning to cut 140 jobs at its Birmingham factory, to create a “logistics centre of excellence”, according to the Birmingham Post.

Meanwhile, Greggs reported its 13th consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth last week (January 17). Full-year sales were up 7%, boosted by a strong festive period.