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Nestle to axe nearly 300 UK jobs and move Blue Riband production to Poland

Job losses: Nestle is cutting almost 300 jobs in the UK: Shutterstock / gcpics
Job losses: Nestle is cutting almost 300 jobs in the UK: Shutterstock / gcpics

Confectionery giant Nestle is planning to cut almost 300 jobs and move some of its production to Poland.

The Swiss firm said the shake-up will affect the production of the iconic Blue Riband chocolate biscuit.

The company's sites in York and Newcastle will see most of the job losses, while there will be a small number of cuts in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and Girvan, Ayrshire.

The GMB and Unite unions both criticised the news, with the GMB saying Nestle should "be exporting chocolate and not jobs".

The company is proposing 143 job cuts in York, 110 at Fawdon, 15 in Halifax and seven in Girvan, the unions said.

GMB general secretary Tim Roache said: "To shift the production of an iconic British brand like Blue Riband to Poland is completely unacceptable.

"Nestle are throwing people's lives, and those of their families, into turmoil for the sake of increasing profit margins.

"These factories should be exporting chocolate - not people's jobs.

"The Government needs to step in before it's too late and reassure millions of workers across the country this is not just the tip of the Brexit iceberg."

Nestle said in a statement: "These proposals span four different sites: York, Fawdon, Halifax and Girvan and may result in a reduction of 298 roles, predominantly at York and Fawdon, through 2017 and 2018. It is expected that these would be achieved through voluntary redundancies.

"The proposed changes include amended and standardised shift patterns at each factory and, at Fawdon, the most complex of Nestle's UK confectionery sites, the transfer of Blue Riband production to a Nestle factory in Poland. This would mean being able to simplify and focus Fawdon's operation.

"These proposals are being made by Nestle UK to ensure that these sites operate more efficiently and remain competitive in a rapidly changing external environment.

"A 45 day consultation on these proposals will commence as soon as possible with trade unions and employee representatives. Nestle UK appreciates that this is an uncertain time for employees and will work hard to ensure all are supported through this difficult period."