3,000 job losses announced on one day

Nearly 3,000 job losses were announced in just one day in early February.

Chemist retailer and manufacturer Boots said it will be closing its cosmetics factory in Airdrie, Lanarkshire with the loss of 1,000 jobs over the next two years.

Production is to be transferred to Nottingham as part of a cost-cutting plan, which the company hopes will save £50 million over three years

The 750 full time and 250 part time staff in Airdrie will be considered for redeployment elsewhere in the group.

Bill Speirs, general secretary of the Scottish TUC (STUC), reacting to the news, said: "The unions representing the Boots workers, USDAW and Amicus AEEU, will be looking to find ways of averting the closure. They will have the full support of the STUC, and must also have the support of Scottish Enterprise, all of the political parties and the wider community, including the business community."

United Biscuits is to stop production at its Ashby-de-la-Zouch biscuit factory with the loss of 900 jobs. A consultation programme with staff and unions is now being started.

Tour operator MyTravel is looking to make 700 staff redundant as it struggles with what it terms "difficult market conditions".

Bookham Technology, the fibre optics manufacturer, is to shed 200 staff at its manufacturing and research and development operations at its Milton plant near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.