by Robert Johnson

Bitter attack on drinks firm

LEIGH MP Andy Burnham has slammed moves to shut the Vimto Soft Drinks factory in Golborne with the loss of 60 jobs.

Mr Burnham has said he has serious concerns about the way drinks company Nichols has handled the planned closure of the Stone Cross Park factory, which is best known for producing Vimto and Sunkist drinks.

He has written to Alan Johnson, the Trade and Industry minister who has replied to the Leigh MP, and he plans to raise the matter in Parliament.

And Mr Johnson said that employees could have a case against Nichols, if as Mr Burnham feared, the company had made a final decision on redundancies before the statutory consultation period began.

Mr Burnham said: "Im disgusted with the way Nicols have handled the whole situation. Employees had a meeting with Nicols last year which seemed to promise them a long term future but now they have had the rug pulled from under them.

"I tried to approach the company to speak to them about the proposed redundancies but they would not enter into discussions with me. I will be raising the matter in Parliament."

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Mr Johnson said: "Employers in the UK are under a statutory obligation to inform and consult employee representatives about proposed collective redundancies.

"The consultation must be conducted in good faith and must cover ways of avoiding the redundancies, or of reducing their numbers, or mitigating their effects.

"Employee representatives or employees who believe that their rights under the provisions have been infringed may seek a protective award of compensation from an employment tribunal. Vimto would have to comply with these requirements when carrying out collective redundancies to which the legislation applies.

"If they feel they have a valid case they would be advised to consider taking a complaint to an industrial tribunal."

Staff at the factory entered into a 90-day consultation period last month. A further 130 redundancies are expected through the company's plans to relocate its Stockport operations to an existing factory at Haydock.

Nichols drinks company did not want to comment.