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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| 400 turkey plant jobs 'at risk' | 400 turkey plant jobs 'at risk' |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| Four hundred jobs look set to go at a turkey processing plant in Monmouthshire. | Four hundred jobs look set to go at a turkey processing plant in Monmouthshire. |
| Cranberry Foods has announced that a business review recommended laying off staff at its Abergavenny factory. | Cranberry Foods has announced that a business review recommended laying off staff at its Abergavenny factory. |
| Workers were warned in January that redundancies were possible, and received letters on Thursday saying jobs could be moved to Derbyshire. | Workers were warned in January that redundancies were possible, and received letters on Thursday saying jobs could be moved to Derbyshire. |
| Joint managing director of Cranberry Foods, Andrew Lewins, said a final decision had not yet been made. | Joint managing director of Cranberry Foods, Andrew Lewins, said a final decision had not yet been made. |
| But he added the most "appropriate" way forward, suggested by the business review, would see slaughtering and primary processing operations end at Abergavenny. | But he added the most "appropriate" way forward, suggested by the business review, would see slaughtering and primary processing operations end at Abergavenny. |
| "The consultation process is still ongoing and we are committed to ensuring that colleagues are kept updated as matters progress," he said. | "The consultation process is still ongoing and we are committed to ensuring that colleagues are kept updated as matters progress," he said. |
| 'Shocking' | 'Shocking' |
| Cranberry Foods, the UK's second largest turkey producer, said 140 jobs would be created at its plant in Hollybank, Derbyshire to "offset" the loss. | Cranberry Foods, the UK's second largest turkey producer, said 140 jobs would be created at its plant in Hollybank, Derbyshire to "offset" the loss. |
| Abergavenny would remain a retail-packaging site. | Abergavenny would remain a retail-packaging site. |
| The company blamed the potential job losses on low demand for home-reared turkey meat, because of competition from imports. | The company blamed the potential job losses on low demand for home-reared turkey meat, because of competition from imports. |
| It said it would consult on the review's findings before a decision is made on 9 April. | It said it would consult on the review's findings before a decision is made on 9 April. |
| A worker at the Abergavenny plant, who did not want to be named, said: "It was shocking because we were just shoved these letters and weren't told anything. | A worker at the Abergavenny plant, who did not want to be named, said: "It was shocking because we were just shoved these letters and weren't told anything. |
| "We only had a briefing from management afterwards." | "We only had a briefing from management afterwards." |
| She said the job losses would have a big impact on the local area. | She said the job losses would have a big impact on the local area. |
| Support | Support |
| David Davies, Monmouth MP and AM, said although it was difficult to see all the jobs being kept, he was hopeful some could be saved in some sort of packaging facility. | |
| "It might be the case that the Welsh assembly would have to look to supply some capital funding...I understand that the assembly met with the company recently and I'm hopeful that something positive may have come out of that." | |
| He said Monmouthshire is wrongly seen as an affluent area and added: "I'm hopeful that the assembly will offer the same help to people who lose their jobs in Abergavenny that they previously quite rightly offered to steelworkers in Newport and people who've lost their jobs elsewhere." | |
| The Welsh Assembly Government said the job losses would be a "blow". | The Welsh Assembly Government said the job losses would be a "blow". |
| A spokesperson said: "Assembly government officials met the company in early March to offer their assistance and they will be speaking with the company to discuss these preliminary recommendations of the consultation process. | A spokesperson said: "Assembly government officials met the company in early March to offer their assistance and they will be speaking with the company to discuss these preliminary recommendations of the consultation process. |
| "Our concern is to offer every assistance to those who may be affected by this." | |
| Cranberry Foods bought the business in 2003, saving more than 600 jobs after the previous owners went into administration. |