WARNING TO M&S AMID JOB CUTS CLAIMS

The company was accused of starting to tell staff they are to be made redundant amid reports that more than 1,000 job cuts are set to be announced.

The company declined to comment on a report it was poised to axe staff in its stores and head office when it unveils a Christmas trading update on Wednesday.

An employee at the firm's store in Aberdeen claimed she and two of her colleagues have already been told they are to lose their jobs, while a part-time employee in London said she had been told her job was finishing on Friday.

The GMB union said the developments provided evidence that M&S was planning to axe jobs, and warned the company it could face a series of employment tribunal cases if it announces a huge number of redundancies.

Officials had earlier voiced fears that M&S was gearing up to make big job cuts following the case of a worker who was sacked for leaking details to the media of planned changes to redundancy payments.

Legal officer Maria Ludkin said of the claims from the Aberdeen workers: "This proves that M&S has already started to identify who is going to go.

"If today's reports are correct, M&S have to give 90 days' notice for consultation.

"If M&S tries to take a short cut and treat each shop as a separate workplace, and thereby give only 30 days' notice, GMB will not hesitate to take employment tribunal cases for a 90-day protective award."

The Usdaw union said it was "shocked" at news of job losses so early in the New Year, complaining that staff were finding out from the media that their employment may be under threat.