GAZETTE & HERALD: TIME-keeping, attendance records and education levels may be used to decide which 130 workers lose their jobs at the chicken processing factory Faccenda, a worker claims.

Last week group chairman Robin Faccenda called the cuts the result of a multi-million pound restructuring programme, which would see workers being replaced by new technology.

Members of the mediation organisation ACAS are being brought in to train representatives from all departments before it is decided which posts will go.

But with cuts being made throughout the Sutton Benger factory's workforce, employees are in limbo waiting to find out who will stay and who will go.

Worker Brian Williams, 63, from Sutton Benger, said: "Flexibility will be key to whether people are kept on.

"We already believe that the shift patterns might be changed to accommodate the new technology and if people aren't willing to change the way they work they'll be out the door.

"It's not going to be a case of 'last in, first out' redundancies are going to be based on timekeeping, attendance and educational standards.

"Four people were fired last week because of bad time-keeping and the people who are most worried are those with poor English."

He added that the job losses were inevitable, with rising costs and the loss of a couple of big contracts.

"It's all being done properly, but people are pretty cheesed-off," he said.

Faccenda took over the plant in December 2000 from Webbs Country Food and made an estimated £1 million investment.

Workers are bussed in from as far as Chippenham and Swindon and generations of the same families are among those employed by the company.

Margaret Hillier, 59, who lives on the mobile home site at Sutton Benger has worked at the factory for 22 years.

She was shocked to find she may be losing her job. "I am 60 in July, but would like to work on for a few more years, but that might not be possible now," she said.

"A lot of people are talking about it, but we're in the dark really about who will go the bosses aren't saying a lot."

Faccenda is the second largest poultry processor in the UK with an estimated annual turnover of £330m.

It is believed two areas of production are being moved to different parts of the country, with the first of up to 130 employees losing their jobs in May.

Terry Woodhouse, regional representative of the Transport and General Workers Union, called the cuts a "significant loss" and said they would have a knock-on effect on the whole community.

He said: "These job losses have come out of the blue. There has been nothing to make employees believe that job losses of this size were on the cards.

"We have been in contact with our members and will be there to advise them and while Faccenda are adhering to the regulatory 90-day notice agreement, we are deeply saddened by what this will mean for so many workers."

Manuel Pinero, owner of La Flambe restaurant at The Vintage pub in Sutton Benger, said he was shocked and disappointed by the news.

"I came to Sutton Benger from Malmesbury which was hit badly by the loss of jobs at Dyson, so I know what a loss this could be to the community," he said.

An official statement from the company said: "We will endeavour to accommodate any employees who wish to transfer to other sites within the group or, alternatively, work with them to find other jobs with local employers.

"Representatives from across the site will be elected for consultation with the company on the proposed changes.

"These representatives will work with the company to agree the selection criteria for those to be made redundant."