HDNL - Fears of 90 jobs to go at Blackburn depot

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Fears of 90 jobs to go at Blackburn depot

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UP to 90 jobs could be lost if a Blackburn delivery depot closes next month, a union has said.

Home Delivery Network Limited (HDML) have announced that the future of their site in Roman Road, which has operated for 35 years, is under consultation.

Union bosses say they have been told it will shut on Friday, September 9 and that staff were “in total disbelief”.

Paul Parkinson, of union Unite, which represents all 90 workers, said: “Since HDML took over the domestic arm of delivery firm DHL, there has been a surplus of depots.

“We’ve been told that the Blackburn depot will close and that deliveries will be made from either Preston or Rochdale instead.

“There’s been a voluntary redundancy programme running for a few weeks and already about 20 people have left.

“The depot opened as White Arrow Express in 1976 and there’s some managers here who have been with the company for over 30 years.

“The staff are in total disbelief - they’re dumfounded. They’ve bent over backwards to help the company out, and now this has happened.”

He added: “The likelihood is that none of the workers will go to Preston or Rochdale, instead HDML will bring in ‘service partners’ who are self-employed, cheaper and don’t have the same terms and conditions.”

A spokesman for HDNL confirmed that the depot’s future was under consulation, but said further comment would be “innapropriate at this stage.”

The depot became part of HDNL in May 2005. HDNL agreed a deal for DHL’s parcel’s operation business in January 2010, for an undisclosed sum.

It doubled HDN’s size and took its market share to 17 per cent, behind Royal Mail’s 30 per cent.