Eighty jobs at risk in Tipton factory blow

The company has confirmed it has entered into consultation with employees at the plant over proposed changes to shift patterns 'following the loss of significant volume' with a customer.

Tulip is the biggest pork manufacturer in the UK and supplies raw and cooked meats to many major retail and supermarket chains. It is not disclosing the name of the customer involved with the lost work but staff said they believed it was Tesco.

It will mean the loss of an entire shift at the George Henry Road factory, from three to two, and as a result 78 jobs are at risk of redundancy. Around 530 full-time staff are employed there at present.

The company said it was hoping that those at risk from the change might be able to transfer elsewhere within the Tulip business.

Group HR director Kirsty Wilkins said: "Whilst our commercial team is working hard to replace the lost volume the harsh reality is that we are operating in a very challenging marketplace and therefore need to take the necessary measures to ensure the site can remain competitive.

"I do appreciate that this announcement will cause a great deal of uncertainty and concern for those people currently employed on the twilight shift and we will be working with them and their representatives over the coming weeks to identify ways in which we can mitigate the potential impact of our proposal."

Bosses broke the news to staff during a meeting earlier this week.

Keith Love, aged 62, of Wattle Road, Tipton said he was due to retire in three years and would have to find alternative employment until then.

He added: "It was quite devastating. It was a shock to everybody because nobody saw it coming.

"It just happened all of a sudden. They said 'we have got to do this, got to do that,' because we have got to cut back on staff."

Another employee, who did not wish to be named, said he had been asked to increase his working week to 45 hours, or from the current five days to six.

He said he had been told the company was not producing as much for Tesco, which had resulted in the redundancies.

The company, which also owns the Danepak and Plumrose brands, has 17 sites across the UK employing around 8,000 people, including a new factory in Wednesbury opened just last summer. Around 80 jobs were created following the £2.3 million investment in the 3,000 sq m site off the Black Country New Road, which produces barbecue, slow cooked and pulled meat products to meet growing demand for 'street' food and American dishes.