UK Toiletries firm moves jobs abroad

The company has confirmed that around 100 jobs will be axed by the firm from its two Portsmouth facilities in the south of England and that production will be shifted an as yet undisclosed location in Thailand.

Initially the move involves temporary staff, but further down the line the company has warned that permanent staff could also lose their jobs.

Meller has had production facilities in Portsmouth for the past 20 years. The company usually takes on 100 temporary staff to cope with added demanded in the run up to the Christmas season, but shifting production to Thailand means that this will not be necessary next year.

The company supplies a number of common toiletry products such as body creams, scents and talcum powder to leading British retailers including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

Meller usually starts to put together toiletry gift sets in the early Autumn. These packs have proved to be increasingly popular gifts during the festive season in recent years and the company's seasonal work load has been steadily increasing as a result.

Managing director Jeremy Curtis said that the company had no intention to close either of its facilities in the near future, adding that its permanent staff would be assured their jobs for the coming year.

However, he did hint that further moves to shift production to Thailand in the future could be possible.