Factory says diminishing business confidence has resulted in a “further redundancy situation”

WORKERS at Axminster Carpets Factory face a worrying Christmas after news that more redundancies are on the cards.

Following plans to scale down its sales office the firm revealed yesterday (Tuesday) that it now has “a further redundancy situation” within its operations department.

The current crisis over the Euro and diminishing confidence in both the consumer and business markets are blamed for the latest cost-saving moves.

Samantha Mickleburgh, the company’s people and service leader, said it was not possible, during the redundancy consultation process, to say exactly how many jobs will finally be axed.

“But overall the numbers affected are expected to be very low,” she assured The Herald.

The factory’s move to streamline its operations came after it returned to profit last year.

To continue its drive to improve sales growth and profit it announced the sales office would be targeted as the next phase of its programme of transformation.

In a statement it said: “A review has highlighted the benefits to be achieved for both customers and the organisation with a streamlining and combining of related business processes, simplifying currently complex and disjointed ways of working.

“As a result a number of employees have been put at risk of redundancy, although the organisation will do its best to keep numbers to a minimum.”

Ms Mickleburgh said their problems had now been compounded by the recent events around the stability of the Euro and the diminishing confidence in both the consumer and business markets.

She added: “As with most businesses, Axminster Carpets is not immune to the economic climate and must take appropriate action to guard against the future.”