Unite condemns Wiltshire food factory closure

16 April 2008

Unite has condemned the announcement that Faccenda are to close its factory at Sutton Benger, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, with the loss of 450 jobs.

The factory that processes chicken primarily for Asda, but also for Nando's Chicken Land and Miss Millie's will shut its doors in September.

This announcement comes on the back of other major closures of food processing factories in Wiltshire in the last year. Hygrade at Chippenham (three miles from Sutton Benger) closed in March 2007 with the loss of 500 jobs, and Pork Farm Bowyers at Trowbridge (15miles) closed last month with the loss of 700 jobs.

Hugh Kirkbride, Unite regional industrial officer said: "This is a huge blow to the hundreds of workers and their families who are to lose their livelihoods. This closure will also have a devastating impact on the region’s already fragile economy that has seen over 1,000 food processing jobs disappear in the last year."

The Sutton Benger factory opened in the mid-1960s and after several changes of ownership, was taken over by Faccenda in the mid-1990s.

Unite led a successful recruitment campaign which eventually led to the union winning recognition in 2005. The company have informed Unite they intend to concentrate all its activities on the other two sites at Telford and Brackley.

Workers at the factory are shocked with the companies decision and have described the announcement as a "a bolt out of the blue".

Unite does not accept that closure is inevitable and is seeking to start formal consultations immediately.

Unite will be seeking the support of North Wiltshire Conservative MP, James Gray, to ensure that he continues to support Unite food workers, as he did over the Hygrade closure.