House of Fraser Milton Keynes DC to close says GMB

GMB said its members were informed on September 6 that the Milton Keynes depot of House of Fraser will close on November 27 with the loss of more than 300 jobs.

Members of staff were put on a 45 day consultation period on August 17, 2018.

House of Fraser collapsed last month as was bought out by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. However a stand-off between Sports Direct and XPO – who run House of Fraser warehouses in Milton Keynes and Wellingborough – over a £30 million House of Fraser debt has left more than 600 people facing redundancy and orders at a stand-still.

GMB criticised both XPO and Sports Direct for the job losses.

Alan Costello, GMB organiser, said: “GMB is disappointed by the fact that XPO and Sports Direct are clearly only interested in the stock in the warehouse. They couldn’t care less about our members or their livelihoods. This whole stand off – during which our members have been left in limbo – has been about commodities – not people. Our members have been left by the wayside, while XPO and Sport Direct fight like rabid dogs over the bones of House of Fraser.”

HSS approached both XPO Logistics and Sports Direct for comment.