Union facing 'uphill fight' for Uniq jobs in Minsterley

Union chiefs today admitted they face an uphill battle to save the jobs of 350 staff being made redundant at a Shropshire dessert factory.

Mike Tuff, Unite union regional officer, was speaking after a summit meeting yesterday with bosses of Uniq in Minsterley, near Shrewsbury.

The firm announced on its website earlier this week 350 jobs were to go. And Mr Tuff said: "We are trying to save jobs, but how many jobs we will save, will be very, very few if I am very truthful.

"We may save some," he said, adding that news of the proposed redundancies had not come as a total surprise to staff. We have got a total of 300 members at the site and they thought there was something on the cards."

Mr Tuff said the union was planning to continue holding regular talks with bosses at the site throughout September and said he hoped to sit down with officials from Irish convenience food company Greencore, which is set to take over Uniq next month.

He added he hoped it would be possible to get some workers jobs at Uniq's site in Somerset, should they wish to move there.

"We need a meeting with Greencore to try and alleviate some of the job losses," he said. "We will ask them to give us a relocation package for anyone who wants to move down to the Somerset site."

The redundancies at the Minsterley site come after Uniq announced it had decided to cease production of its Everyday Desserts range at the site from next June.

Business and civic leaders were disappointed by the news, with Richard Sheehan, managing director of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, describing it as a "very serious and a very sad announcement".

Councillor Tudor Bebb, Shropshire Council ward member for Rea Valley, said he would try to meet Greencore for discussion.