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Bury Free Press, 17 March 2006 |
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Grim-faced workers yesterday arrived for work as usual at an Elmswell meat factory, as the village woke up to the 'nightmare' loss of 380 jobs and the end to 95 years of history. |
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Families have been told that they will probably be out of a job after the Grampian Country Food Group announced its intention to withdraw from Elmswell on Wednesday. |
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A meat factory has stood on the site off St Edmunds Drive since 1911 and was bought by Grampian in 2001 - but all that looks set to end in June. |
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As workers poured through the gates at 6am yesterday morning, Stephen Watts, 26, from Elmswell, said: "It's a total shock. I've been here since I left school - I've got a family to support." |
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His friend Cole Shepherd, 32, also from the village, said: "There was always an inkling of this happening but it's a bit of a shock." |
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But Robert Pearce, 58, from Buxhall, said: "We haven't had any extra work since Christmas, so this isn't a total shock to be honest - but it is a pity to see the place go." |
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Another man, who did not want to be named, said: "I'm 57 this year, so this is going to affect me severely - getting another job is going to be extremely hard." |
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Mid Suffolk district councillor Carol Milward worked at the factory for 18 months around four years ago and got to know many of the families that work there. |
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"It's a hell of a blow. It is going to have an impact on the whole of the village," she said. |
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Fellow district councillor Doug Reed said: "It's devastating for the village, so many people in the village work there. I know of one husband and wife that work there - for them it's going to be a nightmare. |
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"The impact of having a big employer in the village cannot be over-estimated. |
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"Local shops are heavily dependent on people that work there. It is just going to hit everything." |
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Peter Dow, clerk of Elmswell Parish Council, said: "It is an enormous blow - everybody knows somebody who works there." |
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He said the parish council had to be ready to help by offering facilities for re-training. |
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James Cutting, economic development officer at the district council, said the factory accounted for 30 per cent of employment in the Elmswell and Norton areas. |
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Christine Henry, area organiser for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), said: "Our members are now on 90 days' notice and are devastated by this announcement. |
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"Many of them have worked there since leaving school and, in some cases, whole generations of one family have earned their living there. |
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"If the site does close in June, then we will make sure our members get the very best redundancy packages possible and will be working closely with them to look at re-skilling and re-training options to secure a very experienced and talented workforce suitable alternative jobs." |
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David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, said: "Over 300 jobs is a hammer blow and I am sure we will all think, at a time like this, of how many families will be affected." |
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He said he would be writing to the firm's management seeking guarantees that they would do all they could to help workers to secure other employment. |
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"I cannot help but think that the tide of cheaper and often inferior meat products from Europe and beyond has been a factor somewhere here," added Mr Ruffley.
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