Fears that ‘360 jobs will be lost’ at Argos plant

Fears are growing that more than 360 Argos workers will lose their jobs at the company’s distribution centre in Castleford.
The centre on California Drive is undergoing a consultation process.The centre on California Drive is undergoing a consultation process.
The centre on California Drive is undergoing a consultation process.

The firm has admitted it is looking at a range of options as part of a consultation into the future of the plant on California Drive.

NEWS: Thorntons looking for 'other employment opportunities' for Wakefield staffIt would not confirm what the options on the table are, or give an indications as to the reason behind the consultation.

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Pontefract, Castleford and Normanton MP, Yvette Cooper, has even raised concerns about the situation, but Argos claim no decision has been made.

In a statement they said: “We’re reviewing operations at our Castleford depot to ensure we continue to serve our customers in the best possible way.

“This is subject to consultation.

“We understand this may be an unsettling time for colleagues involved and are supporting them in any way we can.”

But one worker, who did not want to be named, is adamant that the closure is a foregone conclusion.

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He said: “There’s no question about it, we’ve had a briefing from our operations manager. It’s going to happen.

NEWS: Wakefield's Private Shop closes its doors after 40 years in businessPeople are not happy about it and everyone is angry towards the company and how we’ve all be treated.

“They say they’ll offer us jobs but they’re not local to us.

“The nearest is Haywood which is 50 miles away. That’s not feasible for anyone who works there. We would all have to move away from our families to work there.

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“We were not expecting this at all, I saw it on Facebook at first and just thought it couldn’t be true.”

The depot, which is close to the M62, had shut down in 2009 but re-opened again to deal with the growing interest of online sales.

Goods are stored on the site with orders being processed before being sent out all across the country.

NEWS: Wakefield dealt another high street blow with closure of Yorkshire Linen CoMP Yvette Cooper said: “I’m extremely concerned at this news from Argos and I’m seeking an urgent meeting with them as we need to keep these jobs in our area. Local trade unions are quite rightly really worried about this plan.

“There are almost 400 jobs on the site - including many people who have worked hard for Argos for years. I am urging Argos to urgently rethink and keep those jobs here.”