MPs show support for Wednesbury Carphone job protest
Union leaders and MPs are urging Wednesbury employer Dixons Carphone to remain in the town despite plans for it to close its distribution centre and move to the East Midlands - a move which will mean the loss of 500 jobs.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) hope to hold lock down talks with the electrical retailer which wants to close its Bilston Road factory and relocate to Newark in Nottinghamshire later in the year.
Dixons Carphone was formed in August last year by the merger of Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse Group.
The demand for talks follows a demonstration protest held on Friday by the union which was also attended by Labour MPs Tom Watson and Adrian Bailey who represent West Bromwich East and West Bromwich West respectively.
The protest titled 'Keep Wednesbury Working' was a rallying call to keep the factory open and its jobs available to current workers who may soon have to find alternative employment if they don't wish to move to Newark.
Vicki Cornelius from the Birmingham, Black Country and Worcester branch of the CWU said the firm's plans were devastating for workers and the town.
"The workers feel betrayed by the company," she said.
"Many have families and cannot afford to move to Newark.
"What Dixons Carphone are asking people to do is make a commute which is an extra four hours to and from work.
"They work a long shift anyway and their way of making a basic living is to do a lot of overtime. You are not going to be fit to do overtime if you have an extra four hours of commuting.
"We've asked Dixons Carphone to rethink their decision. Not just for our people but for the town of Wednesbury
"We are also concerned about the knock-on effect this could have in Wednesbury. This is devastating for the town.
"We hope to meet with Dixons Carphone soon and will ask them to reconsider."
The union claims that of the 500 people who currently work there, only 20 have agreed to move to Newark so far.
It is hoped a meeting between the CWU and Dixons Carphone will happen in the next few weeks.
Workers of the Wednesbury Trading Estate factory were not part of the protest but a couple were seen sounding the horns of their cars in favour of the demonstration.
One of the workers, who did not wish to be named, said after the protest: "It's not great as I've got to look for a new job. I've worked here for about four years.
"I've got a family here in Wednesbury. How can I move to Newark when I've got commitments elsewhere?
"It's alright for single people I suppose, but if you have got a family it is not good."
MP Mr Watson, who is bidding to become Labour's new Deputy Leader, urged Dixons Carphone to rethink their plans.
"I'm here today to show to the 500 people here at Dixons Carphone that I'm on their side.
"And I'm asking the company to reconsider their decision.
"There are 500 jobs here and if they will go it will have a massive impact here. These are loyal workers who have stood up for the company and have helped them to be a success."
In a statement issued in April, Dixons Carphone said its distribution and repair centre in Newark was an 'appropriate' location to move forward.
"As part of the on-going integration process, we have been reviewing our two Services divisions to find the best way to bring them together and create a single operating model that is efficient, sustainable and delivers for our customers.
"Following much consideration, our distribution and repair centre in Newark has been identified as the most appropriate location for our growing business and so we will now consult with colleagues about relocating our Wednesbury operations to this site.
"We recognise the wealth of knowledge and experience in our colleagues at Wednesbury and will be working very closely with everyone affected over the coming months to support them as we enter into consultations."
