Summer has finally arrived, which means festivals galore, al fresco dining and lots of live music. June’s long, sunny days are asking to be filled with activities and events, and there’s lots to choose from this month in Greater Manchester.
17.05.2023 - 10:53 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Almost 550 employees have been put at risk of redundancy after pork giant Pilgrim's UK revealed plans to close a major site in Greater Manchester.
The business is proposing the closure of its Ashton-under-Lyne base as the pork sector "continues to face the most significant challenges in its history.
It added the move is part of measures to "fully optimise its operational footprint across the UK and return to growth".
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The company also said the plans form part of its ongoing footprint review as it "ensures the best structure for long-term growth and development, and for mitigating the current unfavourable market conditions in the UK".
The initial phase of Pilgrim’s UK's footprint review included the closure of its Coalville site and the imminent closure of the Bury St Edmunds base, as well as the introduction of a four-day week at Ashton in September 2022.
If the latest closure goes ahead, the operations would be transferred to its facilities in Spalding, Westerleigh and Bromborough.
Pilgrim's UK said the UK pork sector "continues to face the most significant challenges in its history, with the UK sow herd having contracted by around 15% and loss-making farmers leaving the industry due to a sustained period of high production costs and lower pig prices".
It added that "at the same time, an increasing and on-going reliance in the UK on cheaper, lower welfare imports from the EU and post-pandemic recovery challenges within certain markets has negatively impacted UK production".
Rachel Baldwin, vice president of Human Resources, Pilgrim’s UK, said: "The decision to propose the closure of our Ashton site has not been taken lightly and we have made every
Summer has finally arrived, which means festivals galore, al fresco dining and lots of live music. June’s long, sunny days are asking to be filled with activities and events, and there’s lots to choose from this month in Greater Manchester.
Families and communities in Greater Manchester have been left reeling after two people were stabbed to death in two separate incidents less than 48 hours apart. On Wednesday night 21-year-old Salah Eldin Adam was killed in Old Trafford.
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The switch from the office to working from home during the Covid pandemic has forced the council to cash in on a vacant office building in Wigan.
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Spring has well and truly arrived - so it’s time to blow away the cobwebs and head outside for a walk. You don’t have to travel far to enjoy a stroll in nature though, as there are some incredible green spaces to explore right here in Greater Manchester.