THE union representing around 1,000 East Lancashire workers at the GUS home shopping group has welcomed its sale to the Barclay family.

More than 800 people work at the group's Reality call centre at Kingsway, Burnley, and over 100 are employed at its delivery depot at Davyfield Road, Blackburn.

News of the deal prompted fears of job losses throughout the North West and a top level meeting was arranged between USDAW and the new owners.

National officer Val Pugh met chief executive Alan Taylor and human resources director Roger Pickering of March UK, the company controlled by the Barclay family.

"All the reps see this takeover as a positive move," she said.

"The sector was in the doldrums and struggling to cope with the competition.

"Thankfully, the Barclay family is clearly looking to turn the business around.

"They, like us, want the business to succeed, which makes it a very exciting time for everyone concerned.

"Obviously there is a lot of work to be done. However, we are determined to work with the new owners and map out how, together, we can take the business forward."

GUS sold its home shopping catalogue business and the Reality call centre and logistics operation to the Barclays in a combined deal worth more than £540million.

Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, who are among the richest men in Britain, are set to merge GUS's mail-order arm with their Littlewoods business.

The deal, however, has yet to be approved by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

The Barclays also own the London Ritz hotel and newspapers including The Scotsman and The Business.

Reality was launched as a business unit in 2000 by the then Great Universal Stores.

It will become part of the Barclays' March UK operation.

In addition to work for the GUS group, Reality provides a range of customer care and logistics services to blue-chip companies such as Readers' Digest, QVC, Barclaycard, MBNA and Britannia Music.

Argos, part of the GUS group not affected by the deal, has signed contracts with March UK to continue home delivery and other services for up to three years.