McVitie’s employee petition calls on Scotland’s First Minister to help save 500 biscuit factory jobs
Hopes have been kept alive that nearly 500 jobs at the pladis-owned Tollcross McVitie’s biscuit factory in Glasgow could be saved under new proposals put to the company, writes Neill Barston.
As Confectionery Production reported recently, the business revealed it has excess capacity at its British manufacturing locations, with its core Scottish site, delivering core lines including Hobnobs and Rich Tea brands, was expected to be wound-down amid restructuring plans.
However, workers at the factory have set up a major online petition, calling on Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to intervene in the case – with the web-based protest so far attracting 77,000 signatures over the expected closure.
The senior politician, who leads Scotland’s SNP party, has reportedly Tweeted that she “has made it clear to parliament last week that it is the commitment of the Scottish government do everything possible to save jobs at Tollcross,” in the wake of a recent community visit to Glasgow.
Employees of the business have reportedly expressed their shock at the proposals to close the site, and asked its owners to reconsider their decision in light of its potential economic impact on the area.
But time appears short for any reprieve – as we previously reported, the Turkish-owned pladis business outlined that it planned to cease production at its longstanding Tollcross site from the middle of 2022, with consultation over redundancies understood to be already under way.
The company has around 6,000 people employed globally, having recently invested significantly in a new global headquarters in Chiswick, West London, from its traditional base in Middlesex.
Speaking on the latest plans to help retain jobs at Tollcross, a pladis spokesperson confirmed that it is considering an alternative to closing the site.
The company said: “We have been presented with an alternative proposal as part of the formal consultation process. We are carefully considering and evaluating the detail of the proposal and will be responding through the formal consultation process.”
