Trade union Unite said it would fight for every jobDan Haygarth Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter
16:42, 06 Aug 2025
The Walkers plant on Pennine Place in Skelmersdale(Image: Google)
Jobs could be at risk at a factory as a multinational company proposes “changes to its operation structure”. PepsiCo, which owns crisp giant Walkers, is proposing altering its staffing numbers at its UK sites, including its Skelmersdale factory.
The plant, on Pennine Place in the West Lancashire town, manufactures a number of Walkers snacks, including Monster Munch. Roles could be made redundant as a result of the process, which PepsiCo said will affect “a proportion of employees”, but the firm did not disclose how many roles could be affected.
A PepsiCo UK spokesperson told the ECHO: “We recently told our teams that we will be consulting on proposed changes to our operational structure, affecting a proportion of employees at our snacks manufacturing sites in the UK, including Skelmersdale.
“No decisions will be made without first consulting affected employees and their representatives. Our priority is providing support for our people throughout this process.
PepsiCo owns crisp brand Walkers(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)
“The changes being proposed are intended to bring our UK sites in line with a different operating structure we have had success with at some of our other international sites, leading to better ways of working and increased technical capabilities.”
The ECHO understands this affects its four largest UK sites – Coventry, Leicester, Lincoln and Skelmersdale.
Trade union Unite said it would fight for every job to be retained in the process. Unite national officer Paul Travers said: “Unite will be offering support to our members at this difficult time. We will now be entering consultations and fighting for every job.
“Unite will ensure our members’ best interests are the priority, including negotiating against compulsory redundancies and for the best possible severance packages for those wishing to take voluntary redundancy.”
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