Second time in three years workers have faced redundancy

It is the second time in the last three years the Angus workforce has been threatened with redundancies.

Previous owner Farmcare embarked on a period of consultation in July 2016, when staffing numbers were at 90, following the loss of a significant packing contract.

The acquisition by Morrisons six months later was hailed as one that safeguarded the workforce.

However, an employee at the site said it was now clear to him the Carnoustie acquisition was merely a stop-gap for the supermarket as it began an investment programme in its English sites.

“Investment has been going into Garbrook despite the fact that our operation runs at a profit. We can see now that Morrisons only bought Carnoustie as cover,” he said.

“As time went on we wondered why they weren’t investing in us like the other sites. It means they are going to be running potatoes from Carnoustie past Glasgow, down to Manchester, packing them, then running them back up to Glasgow.”

He said the workforce had been stunned by managers at Morrisons who announced the consultation period by “reading from an iPad”.

“The morale is terrible – six people have already left this week,” he added.

At the time Morrisons acquired the Carnoustie facility from Farmcare, Andrew Thornber, managing director of Morrisons Manufacturing, said: “Our acquisition of the Carnoustie site, and our relationship with Farmcare, shows Morrisons’ commitment to working directly with growers in Scotland and offering our customers the very best quality fresh produce.”