Town march over biscuit factory

Unite said staff in Uttoxeter were determined to do everything they could

Workers from a Fox's biscuit factory have been on a march in an effort to persuade the firm to save their jobs.

Fox's Biscuits wants to merge its plants in Uttoxeter and Batley, West Yorkshire, and build a modern factory on one of the sites by 2011.

Workers carrying a giant heart cut-out to show their love for their jobs attended the Valentine's Day rally in Uttoxeter, the Unite union said.

Northern Foods managers are expected to announce their final decision in March.

'Already struggling'

The company has said both factories are old and in need of investment.

Workers marched through Uttoxeter to the town hall at lunchtime.

The convenor for Unite, Lorna Andrews, said the whole community was relying on the factory to stay open.

She said: "You'd be putting the 800 employees out of a job but you'd also have the knock-on effect to other people within the community.

"(It) supplies us with raw materials, it supplies us with agency labour.

"It would also have a knock-on seriously to the housing value within the community, to the shopping area, which is already struggling as it is, to keep shops in the town."

Unite said staff in Uttoxeter were determined to do everything they could to make sure their town was chosen for the new "super-site".

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version