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| Thursday, 12 December, 2002, 10:48 GMT Anger as Dr Martens closure looms ![]() The first jobs are going in the New Year Only 20 jobs will eventually remain at R Griggs in the UK after the Northamptonshire shoemaker moves all its production to China. The firm, which makes Dr Martens boots, has completed its 90-day consultation on its plans. The first phase of redundancies will begin in the New Year. In October the company, which makes footwear at factories in Wellingborough, Irthlingborough and Wollaston in Northamptonshire, announced it was moving production to China with the loss of more than 1,000 jobs. Workers angry The decision was made because it was cheaper to produce footwear in China. Fred Tooleram, the Griggs representative for the footwear union KFAT, says the decision has left the 700 workers in Northamptonshire angry. He said: "People have resigned themselves now that they are going to lose their jobs." He said the 124 people who lost their jobs in a first wave of cuts in the summer, before the shutdown announcement, got a good package with their redundancies. "The ones who stayed - the loyal ones - were expecting cutbacks but not total closure and the knock-effect it has had," he added. The 20 people who will remain employed in the UK will be office and design staff. | See also: 25 Oct 02 | England 24 Oct 02 | England 05 Aug 02 | Business 19 Jul 02 | England Top England stories now: Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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