This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-35547538

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Clarks to cut 170 jobs from Somerset and US sites Clarks to cut 170 jobs from Somerset and US sites
(about 2 hours later)
Shoe manufacturer Clarks is reported to be cutting 170 jobs, many of them from the Somerset village where it began. Shoe manufacturer Clarks is cutting 170 jobs, many of them from the Somerset village where it began.
The firm wants to "address duplication of capabilities and inefficiencies", it said in a statement given to the Western Daily Press newspaper. The company said it needed to "address duplication of capabilities and inefficiencies" and become more efficient.
More than 1,000 people are employed in Street, many across the distribution centre, and the BBC understands they were told the news on Wednesday. More than 1,000 people are employed in Street, many across the distribution centre, and it is understood they were told the news on Wednesday.
Clarks' US site in Boston, Massachusetts, will also be affected.Clarks' US site in Boston, Massachusetts, will also be affected.
The Western Daily Press newspaper initially reported the planned job losses on Thursday.
'Very bad news''Very bad news'
James Heappey, Conservative MP for nearby Wells, told the BBC he understood the majority of job losses would be in Somerset which was "clearly very bad news for Street". The firm said the restructure was due to "a highly demanding commercial and economic environment with increasing competition and intensified customer expectations".
The statement said: "This reorganisation unfortunately means that we are in conversations with approximately 170 people who will leave our business across our global operations over the coming month."
A source close to the company told the BBC the majority of jobs would go in Somerset.
James Heappey, Conservative MP for Wells, told the BBC he also understood the majority of job losses would be in Somerset, which was "clearly very bad news for Street".
"I think it's going to have quite an impact because that's quite a number of people to be looking for work in a community that's relatively small," he said."I think it's going to have quite an impact because that's quite a number of people to be looking for work in a community that's relatively small," he said.
The BBC understands the trade union Unite is in talks with the company about the job losses.
Clarks began work in Street 191 years ago, when brothers James and Cyrus Clark decided to use their tannery to make sheepskin slippers.Clarks began work in Street 191 years ago, when brothers James and Cyrus Clark decided to use their tannery to make sheepskin slippers.
The company website says: "Our feet have stayed firmly rooted in Street. It's where Clarks started. It's where our heart lies."The company website says: "Our feet have stayed firmly rooted in Street. It's where Clarks started. It's where our heart lies."