Haulage firm jobs at risk

Nearly 100 jobs are under threat at the Eddie Stobart Newark depot.

Staff were told on Monday that 93 jobs were at risk.

Of those, 65 are drivers and the rest office or warehousing positions.

The company intends to close the warehousing side of the depot and reduce the size of its transport operation.

One employee accused the haulage company of treating its staff in a way that would appal its public supporters.

Part of the Eddie Stobart reputation is built on its drivers returning waves of recognition from people on the UK’s roads and its lorries are named by members of the public.

The Newark employee said: “I’ve known drivers disciplined for not smiling enough. There’s nothing to smile about now.

“One guy brought his new baby in to work who was born the day before the announcement.

“His face went ashen when he was handed information about the redundancies.”

Employees claim mismanagement is one of the reasons for the redundancies.

The company says the move is necessary to reduce costs and streamline the operation.

Work at depots in Alcester and Corby was centralised at one new depot, Magna Park, Lutterworth, but workers say Magna Park was too small and customers and contracts were lost.

They said Newark had been profit-making since it was bought by Eddie Stobart following the collapse of Corby Chilled Distribution in 2009, but the decision to centralise at Magna Park had changed all that.

“It was a debacle. Newark is now carrying the can for past mistakes,” he said.

Around 50 staff would remain at Newark.

“We fear for the whole site as the lease is up in June,” said the employee.

A second worker said: “There’s a lot of anger, upset and disappointment.

“Everyone’s devastated. The company wants to rush this decision through. We’ve got people on holiday, sick and shifts that take them all over the place and they’ve all to be contacted.”

Another employee said: “It’s a massive blow and so soon after Christmas. Most of us have mortgages and families.

“We’ve been sold down the river with everything we’ve done to keep Stobarts rolling.”

After the announcement that jobs were at risk the company sought nominations for election to represent the workforce as it is not a unionised depot.

It wanted to meet the representatives tomorrow and again on Wednesday of next week.

One-to-one meetings with staff would follow.

The Eddie Stobart press office had failed to respond to the Advertiser’s requests for a comment at the time of going to press yesterday.