Dickies Workwear: 280 jobs at risk in Midsomer Norton

Image source, Google

Image caption, The firm's head office in Midsomer Norton employs 280 people

Proposals to close an international work and safety clothing business and potentially make all 280 employees redundant have been announced.

Dickies Workwear in Midsomer Norton, Somerset said "all roles" at the site were "at risk of redundancy" and employees were being consulted.

The firm's head office and distribution centre is a "significant employer" in the town.

It said if proposals were adopted, it would close by 31 March.

Councillor Robin Moss, from Bath and North East Somerset Council, said he was "shocked".

He said: "There was no hint that this was coming. It's a lot of jobs and that's a lot of money for the local economy."

A spokesman for the workwear firm's US owner, VF Corporation, said a "thorough review" had "concluded the current business model is not in line with financial performance expectations".

"We appreciate that Dickies Workwear is a significant employer in Midsomer Norton and the decision to put forward this proposal was not taken lightly," he added.