Unions hold talks with management over proposed closure of Hall’s factory

UNIONS representing workers at the closure-threatened Hall’s of Broxburn meat factory are today holding fresh talks with management in the latest stage of a consultation on redundancies.

• Dutch firm Vion wants to close Hall’s Broxburn plant, putting 1,700 at risk

• West Lothian Council has issued a statement highlighting their “extreme concern”

The meeting comes after supermarket giant Morrisons refused to rule out a takeover bid for the factory, where up to 1,700 jobs are at risk.

Officials from the Usdaw union, which represents workers at the factory are meeting Hall’s management in the second formal meeting since the announcement of the potential job losses.

Union organiser Tracy Gilbert said that she hoped to learn more about the finances of the company during the meeting.

She previously said: “Hopefully things will be a bit clearer then, but for now we’re just preparing for the meeting.”

Accounts published at Companies House showed that losses at Vion Food UK, the owner of the site, more than doubled to £46.6m in the year to 31 December, 2011.