RS Components set to make 130 redundant at its Corby site amid 'challenging' conditions

RS Components is planning 130 redundancies at its Corby-based headquarters.

It’s thought the jobs could be outsourced to the company’s site in Lithuania, although RS would not confirm that.

The firm, which supplies and distributes electronics components and tools, blamed a ‘challenging’ marketplace for the proposed redundancies.

Last year the RS Group made a profit of £372m, up from £302m on the previous year.

The company, which has a huge site in Lammas Road, didn’t confirm to this newspaper which roles are at risk but it’s believed that they are mostly office-based roles rather than shop-floor jobs. Workers are thought to be taking part in individual consultation meetings this week.

RS said that it could not say exactly how many jobs will go until after those consultations have taken place.

It’s the latest in a series of dashes to Corby’s jobs market – with more than 1,000 posts made redundant at firms including iForce, Berry Suprerfos and Orchard House during the past year.

A statement from RS Group to the Northants Telegraph today (Monday, February 26) said: “The industrial and electronics markets we serve remain challenging and we have taken the difficult decision to reduce some roles to position the business for long-term success.

“Every effort has been made to limit the impact on our people and we will do what we can to support those who are affected by the proposed changes.

“We can confirm that we are consulting on a proposed reduction of circa 130 roles in Corby, phased through to November 2024. However, until the consultation process is concluded we cannot confirm this.

"Our primary objective is to limit any impact on our employees as we position the business for long-term success.

“We’re committed to supporting our employees throughout this process as we position the business for long-term success. We are very aware of how unsettling this is, particularly in the current climate.

"Every effort is being made to limit the impact on our people. We are currently engaging our European Workers Council and the various employee representative bodies. We will also ensure we do what we can to support anybody who is affected by any proposed changes.”

RS was one of the first big firms to open its doors in Corby in 1984 after the steelworks closed and is a sought-after employer. Some workers have been there since the 1980s.

It is known in the industry for its innovative practises – it had an e-commerce site as far back 1998 and was one of the first manufacturers of the groundbreaking Raspberry Pi. Last year it invested in a new laboratory in Corby in order to put new products to the test.

It employs 8,700 people across 31 countries.

Although the current number of staff employed at the Lammas Road based is not known, more than 2,000 workers were employed back in 2020. In the same year, the company put 200 jobs at risk after it said it wanted to create a ‘fresh culture’ at it made the transition to a 'more mature matrix model'.