Council help for those jobless as print firm closes

More than 80 workers at a Burnley printing company are still reeling from the shock news that they are to lose their jobs in the coming weeks.
St. Ives, BurnleySt. Ives, Burnley
St. Ives, Burnley

As revealed in Friday’s Express, employees at St Ives, formerly part of Marks and Spencer’s printing arm, were told that the Burnley plant in Widow Hill Road would shut and the print and finishing work transferred to parent company SP Group’s Redditch site in Worcestershire.

A worker, who did not wish to be named, said: “We were called in to a meeting on Wednesday morning and told the news. We are all really shocked, it came totally out of the blue. Some of us have been here for many years.”

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Burnley Council leader Coun. Mark Townsend promised the council would help all those who face losing their jobs.

He said “The council were disappointed that the consolidation will take place at their Redditch site and the impact that this will have on their workforce here in Burnley. We will work closely with Job Centre Plus to assist those who chose not to take opportunities elsewhere in the SP group in finding other opportunities within one of our new or expanding companies.”

A company spokesman said: “The decision has been reached as part of the SP Group’s strategy to consolidate its manufacturing operations into a single location. Just over 80 employees will be affected by the move, however there are ongoing discussions around opportunities in Redditch and the wider St Ives Group with those affected.”

He said the SP Board’s decision to restructure the manufacturing base will enable the business to offer better value and lower costs.

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