Jobs blow as supply chain’s depot closes

Supply and logistics group Gist was carrying out a review of its Stone site on the Raleigh Hall Industrial Estate, near Eccleshall, which employed about 150 full time staff and 60 part time and agency staff from areas across Staffordshire and Shropshire, and the decision has now been taken to close the site down.

But a borough councillor said that even though every lost job was to be regretted, the majority of the full time staff at the site had been able to find alternative arrangements.

Councillor Jeremy Pert of Eccleshall ward was a member of the rapid reaction taskforce set up to try to save jobs at Raleigh Hall, and he said the group had successfully helped many of the workers stay on either at other Gist sites or other logistics firms.

He said: "It has been a very stressful process for all of these people, and one without a very positive outcome for them.

"Luckily Gist and their partners have been able to minimise the damage done. Originally the situation was that there were 150 jobs at risk and now I would hope it is no more than 30, and that is thanks to the hard work we have been doing on behalf of the employees.

"The rapid reaction task force was made up of councillors from Stafford Borough and from Staffordshire County Council, and also representative from the Department for Work and Pensions from a jobs perspective."

Relocate

Councillor Pert explained that the taskforce had been working to keep Gist employees in work.

"We have approached a number of other logistics companies and tried to tease out their expansion strategies as well as their existing vacancies, and a number of people have been able to find work other businesses.

"I think any one person losing their job means it has not been a success, but the issue would have been much bigger if not for the work we have been doing. Employees have been able to keep working, although some of them may have to relocate.

"Lots of people travelled to come to Raleigh Hall as it was, their employees came from places including Market Drayton and elsewhere in Shropshire."

Adam Tosek on behalf of Gist said: "The site at Raleigh Hall is closed as of April 6. We are pleased to report that a number of employees have been relocated within the business, to sites including Chesterfield and Crewe."

The company would not confirm how many jobs had been moved to other sites, or how many had been lost.

The review of Gist's network was prompted by a reduction in volume, according to communications manager Helen Barclough.