Heinz has announced the closure of two sites in Europe

     As a result of a “comprehensive and on-going process of reviewing its supply chain operations” in Europe, Heinz has decided it still has too many workers and in order to “ensure maximizing efficiencies” the company decided “to improve capacity utilization” by making almost 350 workers redundant.

    Turnhout plant in Belgium (157 workers) which makes a range of foodservice single portion and bulk sauce packs will be closed and production will be transferred to Telford in the UK. 190 employees of Seesen (Germany) factory, which makes Heinz Fridge Packs of beans and pasta will also lose their jobs. Manufacturing at Seesen will be contracted to co-packers. 

    This is just one new episode in a chain of restructuring measures, affecting Heinz workers everywhere, not only in Europe. 

     The local community in Belgium is organising to protest the planned closure via Facebook group “Keep Heinz in Belgium“, while unions created a page for building a wider public response. Click here to join the protest.