Council to support Burberry job cut workers
The luxury British fashion brand, which employs more than 650 people at its mill in Castleford, Leeds, has announced plans to cut some 1,700 jobs globally after it reported a £66m loss last year.
About 150 employees based at Coronation Mills, on Albion Street, could be affected due to the elimination of the night shift there.
Wakefield Council said it would help Burberry employees but that it also wanted the brand to continue to play an "important role" in the local economy.
Council leader Denise Jeffery said: "We know that everyone who works for Burberry will be understandably worried by this announcement and the proposed job cuts will cause a lot of uncertainty and anxiety for many local families.
"We are looking to get more information from Burberry about their plans and understand how they are going to engage with staff and the trade unions on these proposals."
Ms Jeffrey added: "We'll also look to offer support to any affected employees."
The job cuts form part of a wider cost-cutting drive at Burberry with the company announcing plans to double its savings target to £100m a year by the 2027 financial year.
Burberry chief executive Joshua Schulman said most job losses would come from its head office teams around the world but the cuts would "naturally" be focused in the UK, where most of its staff are based.
The two main head offices of the brand - famed for its camel-coloured trench coats - are located in London and Leeds.
Mr Schulman confirmed staff rotas would be reorganised and that night shifts at the factory in Castleford would be scrapped.
It was announced in February that planning permission had been granted for the upgrade of the Castleford factory, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A spokesperson for the GMB union said it was a "sad blow" for the workers and for Castleford.
"Burberry is the town's biggest employer and a third of the workforce are going," a spokesperson said.
"GMB calls on Burberry to work with us to ensure non of the redundancies are compulsory and that support packages are in place for these workers."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Burberry to cut 1,700 jobs as designer suffers heavy losses
Burberry boss ousted as sales continue to fall
Burberry burns luxury goods worth millions
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Top UK court to rule on car finance mega-scandal — with billions at stake
The U.K.'s Supreme Court is poised to deliver a long-awaited judgment on the country's multi-billion-pound car finance scandal , one which could have major ramifications across the British economy. Britain's top court is set to hand down its ruling on motor finance commissions at 4:35 p.m. London time (11:35 a.m. ET) on Friday, a few minutes after European markets close. The car finance industry has been in disarray since the U.K.'s Court of Appeal ruled in October last year that it was unlawful for car dealers to receive bonuses from banks providing motor finance without getting the customer's informed consent. The landmark judgement caught many in the industry off guard at the time — and opened up the prospect of a massive redress scheme to compensate consumers. The crisis has drawn comparisons to Britain's Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) scandal, which was estimated to have cost lenders more than £50 billion ($66.1 billion). U.K.-based lender Close Brothers and South Africa's FirstRand have sought to overturn the Court of Appeal's decision. It puts the forthcoming Supreme Court ruling in sharp focus, with millions of consumers poised to claim compensation from the banks involved. For its part, the U.K. government is thought to be closely monitoring the decision, amid fears that a judgement calling for billions of pounds in redress payments could significantly disrupt the car market. Potential costs Analysts at RBC Capital Markets recently slashed their estimates for how much the scandal could end up costing lenders. "We expect that the Court will find that the banks were liable under statute, focussing on egregious discretionary commissions, but will clear them of liability in equity and under tort," Benjamin Toms, equity analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a research note published Monday. "We believe this is an ideal way for this issue to be handed back to the FCA to set up a softer redress scheme," Toms said, referring to Britain's Financial Conduct Authority. As a result, analysts at RBC Capital Markets reduced their expectations for the estimated cumulative impact from motor finance redress by around 30%. They now anticipate a total sector impact of £11 billion, of which £4 billion for banks and £7 billion for non-banks. Alongside Close Brothers, rating agency Fitch previously flagged Bank of Ireland UK, Barclays, Investec, Lloyds and Santander UK as lenders that have been "significantly involved" in motor finance lending. Redress scheme Brian Nimmo, head of redress at financial services consultancy Broadstone, said the Supreme Court's forthcoming judgment could kickstart one of the country's largest-ever mass redress schemes. "The ruling should give clarity on whether discretionary commission was unlawful and also what the ramifications could be for other markets with elements of hidden commission," Nimmo said. "The FCA has already set out some of the key decisions it will make around the potential implementation of a redress scheme that would be highly complex in seeking to balance fairness for consumers and the integrity of the motor finance market," he added. The FCA, which is considering an industry-wide redress scheme, has said it will confirm whether to issue compensation to consumers within six weeks of the Friday ruling.
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Bloomberg
UK CEOs Are More Downbeat About the Economy Than During Lockdown
British executives are less confident in the UK's economic prospects than when the country shut down during the pandemic, a new survey showed, suggesting that the government has lost the support of the business community. The Institute of Directors' gauge of economic confidence plunged to minus 72 in July, down from minus 53 the month before, according to a report published Friday. The reading is worse than the minus 69 recorded in April 2020 when the UK went into Covid lockdown, and the lowest score since records began in 2016.
Hypebeast
6 hours ago
- Hypebeast
Sacred Buddha Jewels Pulled From Sotheby's Sale Return to India
Summary The trove of ancient gems tied to the remains of the Buddha has been returned to India, following international uproar over Sotheby's attempt to auction the objects inMay. On July 30, India's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took toXto announce the repatriation, calling it 'a joyous day for [India's] cultural heritage.' The 334-piece piece made a safe trip back to the country, where they were greeted by several Buddhist monks upon their return. A joyous day for our cultural heritage! It would make every Indian proud that the sacred Piprahwa relics of Bhagwan Buddha have come home after 127 long years. These sacred relics highlight India's close association with Bhagwan Buddha and his noble teachings. It also… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)July 30, 2025 Made up of gold, amethyst, garnets, coral, pearls and shells, the cache had initially been unearthed in 1898 at a stupa in Piprahwa, near present-day Uttar Pradesh, close to the Buddha's birthplace. Originally discovered by British engineer William Claxton Peppé, the relics were found alongside what are believed to be fragments of the Buddha's remains. Scholars and Buddhist leaders consider gems, bones and ash fall into the same caliber of holiness, regarding the three as inseparable. The jewels were set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's Hong Kong on May 7. However, the sale was postponed and eventually cancelled after protests from academics, Buddhist leaders and India's Ministry of Culture. The ministryarguedthat the artifacts were part of the 'inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India'— which Chris Peppé — William Claxton's fourth generation heir — had no right to transfer ownership. After two months of diplomatic negotiations between Sotheby's, the seller, potential buyer and the Indian government, the auction house confirmed the relics' return. 'Sotheby's is thrilled to have played such a central role in securing this historic outcome,' the house wrote in a recent statement.
