Union leaders have hit out at Aga Rangemaster after it announced dozens of redundancies in the West Midlands just weeks before Christmas.
The upmarket cooker-maker plans to axe 68 workers, including in Leamington Spa, as part of an
The GMB union said its representatives had met with the company to discuss the reasons for cuts and the priority would be to limit the number of job losses and avoid compulsory redundancies.
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It said AGA Rangemaster intended to make the first redundancies by February 5.
Mohammed Khalik, GMB regional officer, said: "AGA Rangemaster is now engaged in consultation to make redundancies at their sites in the West Midlands.
"This follows a review of operations after the acquisition of AGA Rangemaster by the US based Middleby Corporation. The announcement affects the hourly paid at Leamington which the GMB represents and the staff grades.
"This is very disappointing news especially at this time of year when people should be looking forward to a break with their families.
"GMB has met with the company to discuss the reasons for this decision. The priority will be to limit the number of job losses and to avoid compulsory redundancies."
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An Aga spokesperson said it followed a review by Middleby after the takeover.
She said 33 out of 394 shopfloor staff in Leamington were under threat and 27 out of 170 other staff and the hope was there would be no compulsory redundancies.
Tim Fitzgerald, of Middleby Corporation, said: "These structural and commercial changes will allow AGA Rangemaster to build on its existing strength and create the conditions that will enable it to flourish in the long-term.
"We regret that there must be changes to the workforce but we are consulting with employees, trade unions and other stakeholders to minimise the impact and ensure that this difficult process is managed with sympathy.
"There are no plans to close the four manufacturing sites as part of these changes. The Middleby Corporation is committed to manufacturing the world class AGA Rangemaster brands and products in the United Kingdom as we build scale and growth in the business."