True Orchard House job loss toll could be 850, as union boss calls for independent investigation

A senior union official has called for Government help after up to 850 Corby workers were left jobless by the closure of Orchard House.

It was revealed yesterday afternoon that the Corby fruit factory, which makes products for stores including M&S and Pret a Manger, was set to close after weeks of turbulence.

It had been hoped that the factory could be saved, despite ongoing financial woes.

Permanent staff were said to total 500, but the Northants Telegraph has now learned that there were also some 350 agency staff employed at Orchard House, meaning the full job loss tally is much worse than first feared.

It could mean that more than 10 per cent of Corby’s 7,000 manufacturing jobs have gone overnight. It’s believed to be the biggest single jobs blow in the town in at least 15 years.

Some workers have told this newspaper that, despite being loyal to Orchard House for 20 years, they read of their redundancy on the Northants Telegraph’s website last night.

Others said they had not received wages for the past two weeks’ work, despite reassurances from bosses that they would be paid.

Now Lee Baron, Regional Secretary of the union body, the TUC, has condemned the closure of the Orchard House.

He said the ‘devastating’ news came out of the blue and has left the workforce reeling. Barron claims that the workforce were deliberately left in the dark and has called for an investigation.

In addition, he has asked the government to step in immediately to provide support to the hundreds of affected workers

He said: “This is shocking news. Workers shouldn’t go to work to be told to leave, that they’re sacked immediately with no prior negotiation or warning.

“Someone must have known the position the company was in. We are asking for an inquiry to find out what went wrong and to learn lessons.

“But, sadly, that won’t help the workers, so we are also calling on the government to intervene to provide the necessary support and help to the affected workers.”

Corby MP Tom Pursglove said on his social media page last night: “I know today’s sad news about Orchard House Foods going into administration is devastating for many local families - I’ll continue to.. do everything I can to ensure every employee receives all the help they need and deserve.”

Administrators Grant Thornton UK LLP have been appointed to try to sell the company’s assets. They said they will be making contact with the former employees of the Gateshead site to assist them in making the relevant claims with The Insolvency Service.

A statement from Sarah O’Toole, partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP and joint administrator, said: “Economic conditions have proved incredibly challenging for many businesses operating in this sector. Despite management’s best efforts to find a long-term solution for the business, challenging trading conditions have meant the difficult decision has been taken to appoint administrators.”