Unions seek jobs reassurances over Britvic factory closure

04-Oct-2017 - Last updated on 06-Oct-2017 at 08:32 GMT

The closure of Britvic’s Norwich factory has put the future of Colman’s Mustard at risk, claimed Unite

Britvic’s plans to close it Norwich factory and cut more than 200 jobs have raised concerns from two of the country’s leading trade unions, Unite and the GMB, including fears for the future of the iconic condiment Colman’s Mustard.

The closure of the site would result in 242 jobs losses, of which 150 belong to GMB members. Unite said that 32 of its engineering and maintenance members’ jobs were at risk.

Unite also raised concerns for the future of Colman’s Mustard, which is produced at the same site as Britvic’s drinks business. The iconic condiment has been produced at the same factory since the 1860s.

So far, there has been no word from Unilever whether it would be moving production of the mustard to another site.

‘Impact on Unilever workers’

National officer Rhys McCarthy said: “The sad news that Britvic is closing its operations in Norwich also has an impact on Unilever workers who share the same site.

“Unite will not only be seeking assurances, but applying pressure with the support of the local community, that the production and the much-needed jobs that are vital for the Norwich economy remain.”

GMB also sought reassurances for its members affected by the proposed factory closure.

Ivan Mercer, GMB regional organiser, said: “This is not just a blow for Norwich, but Norfolk manufacturing in general as employees live across the whole of the county.

“GMB will do everything we can to mitigate the effects of closure on our members and will seek to meet with the company at the earliest opportunity to discuss this proposal further.”

Close by the end of 2019

Britvic announced plans to close its Norwich factory yesterday (October 3) and move production of its Robinsons and Fruit Shoot drinks to manufacturing sites in East London, Leeds and Rugby. If plans go ahead, the factory would close by the end of 2019.

The firm said closing the factory was part of its plans to improve the efficiency and productivity of its manufacturing operations. Britvic’s board of directors has entered consultation with affected staff.

Britvic ceo Simon Litherland said: “This is not a proposal that we make lightly and we know this is upsetting news for our colleagues.

“We are very grateful for the hard work and dedication of our employees at our Norwich factory and today's announcement is in no way a reflection on their performance or commitment.”