The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Retail Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles 47 - Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
600 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
9 December 2005
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
Description
Up to 600 staff at the Littlewoods' mail-order business in Manchester could lose their jobs in the final weeks of 2005 as the business relocates to a new head office at Speke in Liverpool. The new Littlewoods home-shopping office is 35 miles from the existing Manchester base and up to 60% of the Manchester staff could now lose their jobs. Littlewoods Shop Direct - which includes the former GUS mail-order business and is owned by the billionaire entrepreneurs Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay - operates from two offices, in Liverpool and Manchester. Both offices employ about 1,000 people. The catalogue group announced plans to transfer to a office in Speke in 2008. A spokesman for Littlewoods Shop Direct said the company was hoping to minimise job cuts, but it was inevitable there would be redundancies. However, there are fewer jobs available at Speke and the retail union USDAW has been informed that up to 600 staff could lose their positions. USDAW's said: 'We are very disappointed. I don't expect to see many staff at Manchester going to work at Speke. The journey will be beyond the majority of people, with the exception of company management.'
Sources
9 December 2005: The Guardian
Citation
Eurofound (2005), Littlewoods, Relocation in United Kingdom, factsheet number 62652, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/62652.
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