Workers at ABN’s Cullompton animal feed factory are being left in limbo as Unite steps up pressure on the company to reveal whether jobs are at risk after the loss of a major contract.
The union said staff at the Devon site are among more than 500 workers across five ABN factories in the UK who could face redundancy, but still do not know what the future holds.
ABN employs mill operatives, drivers and engineers at sites in Yorkshire, Devon, Lancashire, Oxfordshire and Cumbria.
Unite said the uncertainty followed ABN being told in April 2025 that it had lost a large contract to supply feed to 2 Ag, formerly 2 Sisters, which chose to have the feed produced by its own mills.
The union said TUPE regulations did not apply and no workers transferred to 2 Ag.
In discussions with Unite, the company admitted it had been “arrogant and complacent” in how it treated customers, according to the union.
Unite said its members had been hearing rumours for months, but the company did not inform the union until August and September that there may be a problem. It added that it was not until November that it learned the scale of the issue.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “ABN is treating its workers with contempt. Dedicated workers should not be treated in this manner. ABN must come clean and tell workers what the future holds.”
The union said it has met the company several times since then, but still has no clarity on the timescales for decisions.
It said this was leaving members at sites including Cullompton with no idea whether they will remain with ABN, move to another employer or lose their jobs.
Adrian Jones, Unite national officer, said: “One of our reps has over 42 years’ service and feels totally let down by the company as it is now just not bothering. ABN is not a small company – it is part of Associated British Foods that also owns Primark. A firm of this size should be able to do the right thing for its workforce and have the decency to be transparent about their futures.
“We are demanding that the company sets clear deadlines for decisions to be made and to support our members properly. We believe that the company don’t want to pay for redundancies so are holding onto workers so they will go to another company and be their problem. Unite will not stand for such behaviour.”
Unite said Cullompton is one of a number of ABN sites currently “on the market”, alongside Sherburn AD Plant, Bury, Enstone and Langwathby.
The union added that Flixborough has already seen a reduction in staff through voluntary redundancy.
Other ABN sites not currently affected are Walsingham, Sherburn Mill, Northallerton, Flixborough and Cupar.
For more information, visit unitetheunion.org.
