Unions were today (Friday) in negotiation with the bosses of a national book distribution centre following the announcement of job losses after a corporate shake-up.

The Book Service, of Frating, formerly Tiptree Book Service, could be making more than 20 of its staff redundant.

Bosses are now talking to union representatives including the GPMU (Graphical Paper and Media Union) and the MSF (Manufacturing Science and Finance Union) in a consultation process due to take 30 days.

Interim managing director Peter Stoakley said the company had too many management staff.

Mr Stoakley said: "In the past when the site was new we took on some additional business and extra management."

But he said the company was now more settled following its move from Tiptree and was trying to bring its ratio of management to staff more into line with other companies.

"Since it possibly could be 20 or more, we have to go into a 30-day consultation period," he said.

"Until it's over we don't know how many people are going to be made redundant."

He added the consultation process could mean a change in the number of jobs affected and said initially redundancies would be on a voluntary basis available to management and supervisors or other staff.

"Any compulsory redundancies would only be in the management supervision level," he said.

Dave Brown, officer for the GPMU, said: "Obviously we are always saddened by the fact there are any redundancies.

"The most important thing is the company agreed the redundancies will be on a voluntary basis."

Mr Brown said the unions were agreeing terms of the redundancies after listening to the company's reasoning behind the job losses. Both sides agreed if the company could not find enough voluntary redundancies company bosses and union leaders would meet again.

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