WORKERS at Uttoxeter’s Fox's Biscuits were sent into a spiral of uncertainty after it was announced three years ago that they could lose their livelihoods. However, following a lengthy battle, the site’s 750 employees can now relax as the factory has been saved.
News reporter JENNY MOODY takes a look back at the long road to salvation.
THE battle to save Fox’s began in July 2008 after parent company Northern Foods made the devastating announcement that it was planning to close either the Uttoxeter factory or its counterpart in Batley, Yorkshire, as part of a £40 million restructuring plan.
This left the workers fighting to become the new ‘supersite’ under the firm’s ‘Project Golden’ which would see one of the two sites benefit from an additional 1,250 jobs.
The company had already revealed that the site in Kirkham, Lancashire — which produced around 30 per cent of Fox’s sales — was safe, leaving Batley and Uttoxeter to become amalgamated.
As the news began to spread, support for the workers started growing with the Unite union starting a non-political petition and Uttoxeter’s Conservatives amassing their own list of campaigners and then-parliamentary candidate Andrew Griffiths, who is now the MP, launching a website, www.savefoxs.com, and a support group on social networking site Facebook.
After hearing the news Fox’s has now been saved Mr Griffiths said: “This is simply the greatest news for everybody who works for Fox’s and for the whole town. The shadow of closure has hung over Fox’s for so long and this will come as a huge relief. I would like to congratulate the workforce, the unions and everyone in the town who campaigned to make this happen. We all hope that this has secured Fox’s future in Uttoxeter for years to come.”
Former Labour MP Janet Dean was a keen supporter of the workers after setting up a working group with Advantage West Midlands and she could be seen heading many marches in the town, and was vocal about the plight of the staff and the need to save the Cheadle Road factory.
East Staffordshire Borough Council’s leaders also joined the Fox’s battle by requesting an urgent meeting with the Fox’s biscuits managing director Graham Hunter.
Rumours of management telling the Batley factory staff they had the upper hand in the battle, which had been leaker to the media, were dismissed by the company, leading to a little relief in Uttoxeter.
The next phase of the battle saw marches through the town to save this historic factory, the first ending with a mass petition signing at Uttoxeter Town Hall.
More than 2,300 signatories had signed Unite’s petition and more than 1,500 supported Mr Griffiths’ petition, with a further 1,000 people joining two Save Fox’s groups on Facebook.
Coronation Street star William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, also added his support to the town.
Mrs Dean and Labour candidate Ruth Smeeth, as well as Mr Griffiths, Uttoxeter town councillors Geoffrey Morrison and Martin Blencowe and Mayor Pauline Morrison joined the hundreds of people showing their support.
Workers and supporters carrying balloons, banners, placards and Fox’s chocolate biscuits walked from the Cheadle Road factory site to the town hall.
Mrs Smeeth, who stood for Labour at the last general election, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the factory has been saved and I would like to congratulate the Unite Union and the workforce for all the work they did to make this happen.
“It was a privilege and an honour to work with Unite and the workers to secure this fantastic conclusion.” At the end of 2008, workers spent Christmas not knowing their future after Northern Foods announced it would not make the decision until 2009.
However, the battle received some positive news after East Staffordshire Borough Council’s planning committee unanimously granted plans, in line with the supersite ideals, for when the decision was made, giving bosses a tantalising glimpse of the future.
A new online petition to save the factory was also launched by Unite as the countdown continued, with now just three months until the expected decision at the beginning of 2009.
To keep the pressure mounting on the company, another Valentine’s Day march asked Northern Foods to ‘have a heart and save my job’.
Hundreds of people again joined the march with workers, families and politicians united once again.
Former mayor Pauline Morrison also brought the plight to television as she featured on Central Lobby with ITV reporter Alison McKenzie to talk about how the recession affected Uttoxeter.
Northern Foods again offered a little relief by saying it would not abandon Uttoxeter altogether if it decided to close the factory and the decision was on track to be made by March 2009.
However, this was not to be as the recession put back the decision as bosses wanted to wait until the economy changes, with a later announcement saying it would not be until 2010.
During this time, workers handed over a 4,000 name document and 2,000 protest postcards to Mr Hunter.
Rumours again started to circulate that the company was rethinking plans for the supersite, but doubt was quashed that soaring machinery costs and tumbling property prices has led them consider an alterative to its Project Golden.
Bad news hit workers again at the end of 2009, as 100 out of 300 jobs going would be lost in Uttoxeter due to modernisation plans.
By the end of 2010 the decision had still not made and a hostile takeover of Northern Foods by chicken tycoon Ranjit Bopoaran led to more uncertainty.
Now, workers all over the town are celebrating after last week the long awaited announcement was finally made and jobs in Uttoxeter are once again safe.
Uttoxeter mayor Allan Chapman said: “I think it is great news the fact all those jobs have been saved.
“It would have been devastating for Uttoxeter should Fox’s have decided to close.
“It’s just great that they have lost no jobs after waiting for such a long time.
“A lot of people work there from Uttoxeter and the outlining districts.”