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156 
P W1NCANTON
Page 6
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Unions step in to fight Wincanton job losses
By David Harris UNIONS ARE battling to save nearly 900 jobs that are under threat because of the proposed closure of Wincanton depots in Manchester and Gloucester.
Unite and the GMB met Wincanton on 5 December to talk about the proposals, and asked the company for an extension of the consultation period so they could obtain legal advice on the implications of the closures.
GMB regional officer Eddie Gauche says: "It is a very complex issue following Wincanton's deal with Culina over its chilled distribution business. "We wanted to get some legal opinions on what's going on."
Both Wincanton and Culina say that if the closures go ahead, they will do their best to offer available jobs to the existing workforces.
It is understood that the contracts operating out of Gloucester and Manchester will transfer to Culina's depot in Stoke-on-Trent.
Gaudie says: "It is possible that some drivers may switch to Stoke, but, realistically, I can't see too many people making the move."
A Wincanton spokeswoman says: "All job opportunities in Culina and Wincanton will be communicated to the affected employees."
The closure of the two sites follows the announcement in November that Wincanton is to merge its chilled business with Culina from March 2009.
There are 450 staff at the Gloucester site and 415 at the Manchester site, which is located at Trafford Park. The firms will remain as separate entities, but Wincanton will have a 20% stake in Culina.
• Meanwhile, Culina Logistics is opening a new distribution centre at Cabot Park in Bristol, which could eventually create about 200 jobs.
• For more on this, go to www. roadtransport.com/wincanton