The continued success and globalisation of Asian industry has brought or even maintained employment across the UK. It is estimated that Indian businesses have created some 19,000 new jobs in Britain over the last year. This figure does not include the 14,000 jobs that were saved at Jaguar and Land Rover when the Indian engineering firm Tata Motors acquired them.
Primark, the highly successful retailer currently bucking the trend on the high street, is showering itself in praise having ended its relationships with three factories in India accused of being sweatshops. The question remains as to whether they are still using further “like minded” factories employing cheap labour in other areas of India.
It has been reported that about 730 jobs are at risk beacuse Northern Foods is mothballing a factory at Grantham, Lincs, which supplies meals to Marks & Spencer.
Morrisons, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket chain, has announced plans to create 1,000 jobs at a new distribution centre in Kent.
The centre will be built near the M2 in Sittingbourne at a new development site known as G-Park. Morrisons has agreed to take a 20 year lease across a large-scale warehouse complex split across two units and they will use it to service and supply its South East stores.
Maternity and nursery retailer JoJo Maman Bebe has said it will create 32 jobs over the next three years after opening a new warehouse in Newport.
The jobs will be primarily in the warehouse and retail operations divisions. The company has opened 22 boutique-style stors across the country in the past three years and sales generated from the website have increased 17% in the past year.
