A dozen people laid off at Melton factory

Twelve members of staff at a Melton factory were told just before Christmas that they were being laid off.
The Mars Petcare UK factory in Melton EMN-190301-123529001The Mars Petcare UK factory in Melton EMN-190301-123529001
The Mars Petcare UK factory in Melton EMN-190301-123529001

Mars Petcare UK are ending the employment of people in temporary contractor roles although some have worked there several years.

They are understood to be employees on the pet food production line and their employment will come to an end in the next three months.

One of those affected, who declined to be named, told the Melton Times: “People feel a bit let down because the company has been investing in new machinery and yet they can’t keep us on.

“We were all told a week before Christmas which isn’t the best time of year to get this kind of news.

“People have not known how much they should spend over Christmas because of the uncertainty.

“I’m lucky that I have transport and should be able to find another job, but some of the others don’t have their own transport so they are worried about the situation.”

A spokesperson for Mars Petcare said: “Mars continues to be fully committed to being a great place to work and our operating model in the Melton Mowbray factory provides for permanent roles being supplemented with flexible working contracts to meet changing staffing needs.

“We are currently reducing some temporary contractor roles, but these changes do not affect our Associates and reflect normal production volume shifts and increased work efficiencies.”