GMB CAMPAIGN
£34m
Northern Food’s total net income
rose to £34.5m for the 12 months
Here
to March 29, 2008 – up from a
net loss of £22.5m in the previous
to help
12-month period
GMB supports its
takes on the
members in 1,000s of
Above: M&S has already been rocked by a number of
directors have
disputes every year promised to
high-profile closures and job cuts, such
Join online
force Northern
as Indesit. The UK is on the brink of a
now
Foods to explain
recession, fuelled by the credit crunch,
the closure.
and some parts of the country are
high street stores
Above right: already feeling the squeeze.”
Workers’ families
“The kind of rationalisation that we
came along to
join the protest.
are seeing at Northern’s Fenland site is
just the start of things to come. GMB
Below: M&S
directors invited
is there to fight for the rights of our
GMB heads into
members at work, and we will continue
executive Stefan Barden added fuel to Net income for the company as a
the building for
to do everything we can to save the jobs
the fire at the end of May when he said whole rose to £34.5m for the same
talks.
of those working in Grantham.”
that it was a “fantastic” time to be in the period – up from a net loss of £22.5m Fenland Foods received the backing
food industry – said that the company in the previous 12-month period. The of GMB Congress in Plymouth when
was fully committed to a consultation company said it would continue to pass Colin Gunter spoke about the GMB
period with staff over the closure. price increases on to retailers in order to campaign to keep the factory open.
It said: “We are working extremely recoup costs and retain its profit margin. A planned demonstration by Congress
hard to find profitable new business for delegates outside the Plymouth M&S
Fenland Foods to ensure its long-term Price rationalisations store was called off when M&S agreed
viability. This could take some time.” Without actually placing the blame for to talks. ■
its decision to mothball the Grantham
Profit increase announced site on M&S, Northern Foods said
Two days before GMB’s demonstration that it had no choice but to push back
in central London, Northern Foods against the retailer’s demands for
announced 25% pre-tax profits, despite discounts under its cost rationalisation
the increase in fuel prices and spiralling programme, which includes an across-
food costs. the-board 2% cut in prices paid to
Northern’s chilled foods division, suppliers and further cuts of up to 3.5%.
which includes salads and prepared GMB Midland and East Coast
sandwiches, as well as ready meals, saw Regional Secretary Andy Worth
sales rise by 7.8% for the 12 months to warned that Northern Foods’ belt
March 29, 2008, with operating profits tightening measures are a sign of a
increasing by 51% to more than £22m. wider recession. “The East Midlands
www.gmb.org.uk 23
INS02.nat_fenland 23 16/7/08 12:47:10 pm
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