Job loss fears at a Carlisle factory are rising as proposed shift pattern changes are being further disputed by a major union.

Cavaghan and Gray, a food preparation factory owned by Two Sisters Food Group (2SFG), began collective consultations in March this year.

In a letter seen by the News & Star, 2SFG said that there is a continuous ‘out of cycle level that is unacceptable’, and it is having a financial impact on the business.

It has moved some staff to a 'four-on, four-off' shift pattern (working four 12-hour shifts a week), but it then sought to expand this shift pattern to all operational workers.

This is to ensure the company ‘meets customer expectations in the future’, according to 2SFG.

“We have committed to work with USDAW [the union] and shopfloor representatives to work towards a solution,” the letter concluded.

However, one factory worker voiced their concern that the proposals may be unsustainable for the factory, which employs roughly 1,100 people.

They said these workers are a mix of agency and full-time staff, 'many of whom' are parents relying on flexible shift patterns to raise their children.

READ MORE: Plans to change shifts at Carlisle factory could be 'devastating'

They later added that their job as an assembly line worker was terminated, and explained that they were presented with a list of current vacancies which required hours at a much higher rate than their current contract that were unworkable for them.

While they said their job was ‘terminated’, they added that due to the consultations continuing and the union taking the case to ACAS, they’re still working and expect to do so into the new year.

It’s left them, with decades of loyal service, feeling disregarded.

“At present there’s no redundancy, it’s a case of the job not being available anymore.

“Most of us think this is a case of fire and rehire – they’re not bothered about your service, your expertise, your loyalty to the company, all they want is numbers on the line.”

Controversial ‘fire and rehiring’, where employees are fired if they refuse contract changes, and then rehired on those same undesirable contracts, formed part of Labour’s plan to bolster workers' rights as they pledged to ban the practice.

USDAW, the union representing the workers, gave employees legal packs to fill out so they could be brought to ACAS, an independent workplace arbitration service, according to a letter sent by them to workers seen by the News and Star.

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They wrote: “(2SFG) has advised the union that 78 colleagues are displaced. 

“This could potentially mean that they will be issued notice to end the contract and reissue the four-on-four-off contracts.

“There are also 37 colleagues who are still at final stages awaiting the decision on the working patterns. 

“The company have advised that the management will be holding a meeting with all these colleagues to explain that they are on the list. 

“They will also explain that the ACAS process will be implemented.”

They added that the legal packs will be sent to USDAW’s legal department so that ‘in the worst-case scenario of any contracts being terminated’ the union has the legal stance on everyone’s case.

“The union are doing a lot of work behind the scenes to support the membership, to ensure you get the best representation possible,” the letter concluded.

Lisa Collins – USDAW area organiser, told the News and Star: “Individual consultation meetings continue with around 115 staff.

“When they have concluded we will consider our next steps depending on the outcomes.”

A spokesperson from 2SFG said: “As the needs of our customers evolve and production schedules change, consultations with colleagues to change shift patterns are ongoing.

“We continue to work closely with our trade union partner USDAW and have adapted our initial proposals several times.

“We're continuing to explore different options and will try to accommodate colleagues' circumstances as best we can.”