News

Stobart Group is planning to close another of the sites it acquired when it bought the  chilled operations of Innovate Logistics out of administration last July.

A total of 71 drivers and 24 management, administration and support staff at the Stobart Chilled depot in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire are set to lose their jobs following what the company describes as a "detailed review of its operations" aimed at "consolidating and integrating resources to achieve operational synergies".

Stobart has entered into a 30-day formal consultation period with the T&G section of union Unite. The jobs blow follows last week's announcement that 84 transport staff at Stobart's site in Manton Wood, Nottinghamshire – also a former Innovate base – are at risk of redundancy.

Derek Ormiston, spokesman for Unite, which represents employees at Larkhall, tells Commercial Motor: "The workers agreed to a pay freeze last year and now they are facing losing their job.

"People are devastated and we are very gloomy about the situation but we will be trying our best to see if there is any way we can keep it going. We hope the site can remain as a haulage operation and are exploring all the options to keep the business open, minimise redundancies and maximise any payoffs."