Sainsbury has announced that it is shutting two of its Argos depots including the site in Heywood by 2026 with around 350 jobs in jeopardy.
The Company said that all those affected by the plan would have the opportunity to apply for jobs elsewhere in the company as it moved to modernise its logistics operations adding that it was looking to further automate operations at its Daventry site, “enabling a reduction of stock, more responsive delivery to customers and stores and a simpler delivery process for suppliers.”
Unite has said there is no “economic justification” for the announcement today that Argos/Sainsbury’s plans to close two warehouses with the loss of over 750 jobs.
Matt Draper said: “Management at Argos/Sainsbury’s has yet to provide any form of business case for the loss of these jobs. Unite will be fighting to preserve every job and will put forward an alternative business case to the company to preserve employment at these two sites.
“This is an incredibly wealthy company which should be investing in its loyal workforce rather than dumping workers in pursuit of short-term profits.
“If Sainsbury’s doesn’t drop its closure plans then Unite will pursue all avenues to preserve employment at these sites.”
Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive, said: “As with any major change to our business, we have not taken the difficult decision to start this consultation lightly. As part of our plan to create a simpler business, we previously set out our intention to integrate our Argos and Sainsbury’s logistics networks. Over the last few years, we’ve been working hard to transform this network as we make our business simpler, more efficient and more effective for customers. This also allows us to reduce costs, so we can invest where it will make the most impact for our customers.
“We understand that this will be an unsettling time for affected colleagues, and we will support them however we can throughout this process. We will be consulting closely with unions and colleagues as we look to streamline the number of sites in our general merchandise logistics network.
