In a statement, the pork processor said: “Karro Food Group can confirm that the consultation process in relation to potential redundancies has now been completed at our Scunthorpe site. Despite all efforts, it is with regret that 141 colleagues will be leaving the business.
“We have been in close liaison with both USDAW [Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers] and North Lincolnshire County Council’s task force team.
‘Job search support’
Together, we have put a real focus on providing a suite of training options, as well as job search support for those affected. We’ll continue to do all we can to support those leaving the business as they look for new opportunities.”
The move follows consultations over the company’s January proposal to cut up to 150 jobs at the factory, linked to local press reports that Tesco had reduced bacon orders from the site.
North Lincolnshire Council leader Liz Redfern told FoodManufacture.co.uk the job losses hit all tiers of the business, including management, adding: “We have collected a task force together and have been in talking to managers and helping them in any way we can.
‘One job too many’
“We will try to redirect them to businesses with vacancies. One job lost is one too many.”
She said the task force included Job Centre Plus and various voluntary organisations and benefit advice was also available for those losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet.
Earlier this week, Karro announced plans to invest £10M in several factories across the UK, including plants at Cookstown in Northern Ireland, Malton in Yorkshire and Haverhill in Suffolk. It claimed the cash would help it continue to build on its turnaround programme, which was making progress.
Karro boasts an annual turnover of £533M. It supplies fresh pork and cured, cooked and frozen meats to retail, foodservice and manufacturing customers.
It employs 3,000 people across the UK and has nine divisions in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.