600 job losses at 2 Sisters Food Group

The closure at Haughley Park, Suffolk, has led to 600 job losses with 200 employees offered a transfer to one of several factories in East Anglia; Eye and Flixton in Suffolk; Thetford in Norfolk, and Basildon and Witham in Essex.

Peter King, customer agriculture category manager, 2SistersFoodGroup, told FoodProductionDaily, the Haughley plant produced roast chickens for various supermarket chains.

Unviable and uneconomical​

“It’s an ageing site, loss making and we were unable to source an adequate power supply. A combination of those factors meant it was unviable and uneconomical to continue production​,” he said.

“It’s a difficult time for everyone and we are managing it as best as we can​.”

King added it had been an uncertain period over the last two months but the company had taken the ‘opportunity to have meaningful consultation’ with its employees and other representatives, whether union or elective reps.

It is with regret​

“It is with regret and sadness we have been unable to find a way of averting the closure​,” he said.

“Our priority, now that we have made a formal announcement, is to speak to the individuals concerned and make them aware of other means of employment.​

“We are taking every step we can to help those affected by the closure including working with the Suffolk Redundancy Network​.”

USDAW union representative Adam Skwierawski, confirmed it had examined the employer's claims and it was trying to reduce the impact of the redundancies on its members.

Of the 600 workers, 430 were permanent employees and the remainder were hired via Staff Lines Employment Agency.