The future of McCambridge’s Bradford bakery is in doubt as bosses consider a proposal to close the cake manufacturing site at Thornton Road. The McCambridge Group has met with the Bakers Food & Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) and has entered a period of formal consultation, which is expected to last a minimum of 30 days.
Staff have been warned that 80 jobs may be lost. In a statement issued to staff on Wednesday, 18 March, the firm said the current plan was to consider the transfer of approximately 40 of its 120 employees, with the move of the confectionery line, to its City Road site.
Group HR director Nick St John-Moore told British Baker that the Thornton Road bakery had been acquired by McCambridge as part of the Inter Link Foods group, which went into administration in mid-2007. “It was one of Inter Link’s-loss making bakeries,” explained St John-Moore.
“We reduced the loss and actually got it back to a state where it was ‘washing its face’, neither losing nor making money, but we’re now faced with the onset of a recession, which has made a lot of difference.”
St John-Moore admitted that if the firm were unable to transfer any jobs to City Road, that it would be looking at a worst-case scenario of 120 job losses.
“We’re working closely with the union representatives, and we’re by no means committed to closing the site yet,” he said.
“We’re still looking at other ways in which we can salvage the whole situation, but it is difficult,” he added. “However, if we have no choice other than to close it, we would certainly hope to salvage at least 40 jobs by transferring them to City Road.”
Staff have been told selections for the transfer positions would be done by use of a skills matrix, which has yet to be agreed with the union, but is expected to include an assessment of skills, flexibility and attendance.
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