Unite will work with management in an attempt to minimise necessary redundancies

UK restructuring will affect Unite members working in Holywood, West Belfast, Strand Road and Dungannon

April 5th: Sean Smyth, Unite officer for Unite members in Sainsbury’s explained that UK-wide management plans to restructure nightshifts and reduce store trainers would mean that more than two hundred jobs would go in stores across Northern Ireland:

“We are deeply disappointed by proposals published by Sainsbury’s which threaten to reduce its employment cohort by 2,500 across the UK including a net reduction of six hundred store trainers and 1,900 Night shift positions. We estimate the potential impact in Northern Ireland to be more than two hundred positions affecting approximately 120 members of Unite.

“While these proposals will impact on all Sainsbury’s stores, we are most concerned about the potential impact on the workforce in stores in Holywood, West Belfast, Strand Road and Dungannon.

“These proposals come as part of a cost-cutting exercise, in which management propose to rationalise employment in the night shift and store trainers across all stores.

 “This is not the first time that this proposal has been raised by management and follows on from a pilot initiative. While we understand and support the need to deliver efficiencies and to improve the quality of service to customers we are concerned about the impact of these proposals on our members. We will continue to work collaboratively with management to minimise the numbers who are made redundant as a result of these changes”, Mr Smyth concluded.