Goss in consultation to cut third of UK workforce

Press manufacturing giant Goss has entered into a consultation to cut at least a third of its UK workforce, it has emerged.

The US company's Preston facility entered into a 30-day consultation with its 150 employees – around 50 to 60 of which are expected to be made redundant – earlier this month (16 March).

According to European marketing manager Eric Bell, the job losses will be across all functions within the Preston plant, which focuses on sales and servicing.

Goss said that the company was "taking proactive measures to restructure its business to take it through this very difficult period, and to make it stronger for when the climate improves".

The move came shortly after Goss revealed plans to consolidate elements of its two French manufacturing plants, which employ 950 in total.

Under this proposal, assembly of the Goss Uniliner and Universal presses would transfer from its Nantes facility to Montataire, just north of Paris, where the M-600 and Sunday 4000 and 5000 presses are currently built.

In response to the news, Nantes employees picketed the site for several days, although Goss has downplayed reports that the employees occupied the facility.

Redundancies have already taken place in The Netherlands and the US, in late 2008 and early 2009 respectively.

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