2 Sisters job losses : 900 jobs at risk in three 2 Sisters poultry plants

2 Sisters job losses : Chicken King Ranjit Boparan’s poultry processing company 2 Sisters Food Group has revealed plans to close three of its poultry plants across the UK, leaving 900 jobs at risk.

According to the latest poultry industry news, the three poultry processing plants to be closed are the 2 Sisters Smethwick plant and the 2 Sisters Wolverhampton plant in England, and the 2 Sisters Cambuslang plant in Scotland.

2 Sisters, which has been in the middle of a meat hygiene scandal, will close the poultry processing plants, in a move to streamline its business.

As a result, the supermarket chicken supplier is likely to slash 350 jobs at the Smethwick poultry plant, 100 jobs at the Wolverhampton poultry plant and 450 jobs at the Cambuslang poultry plant.

Commenting on the 2 Sisters job losses, a 2 Sisters spokesman has been quoted in The Guardian to have said: “As we continue to build a better business, we are simplifying how we work and investing in the areas that can make the most positive difference to our UK poultry operations.

“This means that we will be creating up to 1,000 new roles within the poultry supply chain. However, we do have areas of significant challenge and regrettably 900 roles will be at risk at three loss-making sites which we propose to close.”

Flock Of Chickens In Cage. Image courtesy of kdshutterman at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Unite, a major trade union in the UK vowed to take up the 2 Sisters job cuts issue to save employment of its members and fight closures of the three poultry processing plants.

The trade union plans to enter into consultation regarding the 2 Sisters job losses with the poultry processing company. Unite indicated that it will try and push 2 Sisters Food to invest and find alternatives to the planned closures during their upcoming meetings.

Joe Clarke – Unite national officer for food, commenting on the 2 Sisters job losses, said: “These plans have caused a lot of uncertainty and dismay for the workers involved. Unite will be doing everything it can to support our members and secure their futures following this announcement.”

The Unite national officer for food further said that it was not practical for the workers at the 2 Sisters Cambuslang plant to be redeployed elsewhere in the group owing to the distances with other poultry processing plants operated by the company in Scotland. At the same time, Joe Clarke said that workers at the 2 Sisters Smethwick plant and the 2 Sisters Wolverhampton plant in the West Midlands who would retain their jobs will have to bear with disruption and uncertainty.

Clarke, commenting further on the 2 Sisters Food Group job losses, said: “Workers who have stuck with the company through thick and thin and worked hard to make it a success will inevitably feel a sense of betrayal. The 2 Sisters Food Group needs to engage in the consultation constructively and be willing to listen to alternatives to site closures.”

The news of the 2 Sisters job losses follows last month’s announcement by the UK poultry processing company of expanding its cooked chicken factory in Derby, thereby creating 136 new jobs, thanks to the signing of a supply contract with a major retailer.