Jobs are under threat at Hoover’s Bolton facility after home appliances firm Hoover announced plans to relocate spare parts warehousing jobs to Italy.
The site at the Breightmet Industrial Estate, in Bury Road, has been operating since the 1970s, but is now owned by the Italian-based Hoover Candy Group.
Workers were told on last Thursday afternoon that a 30-day consultation period was being held into relocating warehousing jobs.
Hoover said other call centre and administrative staff are unaffected by the plans, but has not revealed how many warehouse staff it is set to affect.
A spokesperson from Hoover Candy said: “The Hoover Candy Group has been operating out of Bolton for over 40 years and it is with great regret that we are having to consider reducing the current warehousing operation.
“The spare parts warehouse has been an important part of our recent history in Bolton.
“However, economies of scale now needed to optimise the company’s overall strength in a competitive market require us to consider centralising the majority of our spare parts inventory outside of the UK.
“We are in the process of consultation with our warehouse employees and are working closely with the trade union to find alternative roles for affected employees.
“Our call centre and administrative functions, for which the majority of Bolton’s Hoover employees work, continue in Bolton and are unaffected.”
Staff were unable to comment, but one anonymous caller to The Bolton News said: “I know one person who was in tears over the announcement. Many people have worked there for years, some for 20 or 30 years.
“To announce that a warehouse may close in just 30 days after being there for 43 years is not right. It’ll be bad for Bolton if those jobs go.”