280 jobs under threat at Nottingham’s Pizza Factory
Brexit has been partly blamed by bosses for the imminent threat to 280 jobs at The Pizza Factory in Nottingham.
The Unite union is due to hold crunch talks with the company, owned by food giant 2 Sisters, later today (Wednesday), as workers gear up for industrial action short of a strike from midnight on Tuesday (24 January).
The Nottingham company has a workforce of 781, of which 280 face redundancy from January 28 onwards, which the union branded as ‘a body blow’ to the local economy.
Unite says today’s talks will focus on a doubling of the statutory redundancy pay for those losing their jobs as was agreed with the previous owners, Northern Foods and campaigning against an erosion of terms and conditions for the remaining workforce, due to come into force on 29 January.
In a new year message to employees, management said: “As (I) am sure you all know we are in an extremely challenging economic environment following Brexit. We are facing very significant commodity and utility inflation on top of the national living wage increases. At the same time retailer competition is intensifying with growth harder to come by and value a key theme.”
Unite regional officer Andy Shaw said: “This is very bad news for the workers and their families, and a body blow for the wider Nottingham economy.
“The company has blamed Brexit and pressures from price-conscious supermarkets. Our members will be taking industrial action short of a strike from next Tuesday which will mean withdrawing overtime and goodwill.”
