UNION bosses have stepped in to take up the fight for jobs at Wisbech poultry firm Moy Park.

Unite, the country’s largest union, is battling to save more than 300 threatened jobs at the Fenland firm.

Moy Park wants to concentrate its ready to eat meals business at its Grantham site in Lincolnshire which would mean shedding 307 jobs at Wisbech.

This would leave about 40 employees working on the sliced meats operation in the town.

Unite said that the firm’s offer to relocate workers to Grantham 60 miles away or to a plant near Sleaford was “completely unrealistic” given the distances and the often poor state of the areas roads.

Unite regional officer Mark Plumb said: “We will be arguing very strongly in the coming weeks to keep this work in Wisbech.

“To lose this number of jobs in an area of already considerable unemployment would be a devastating blow for the local Wisbech economy.

“We believe that there is no need for any job losses at Moy Park, which is a profitable company, if it brought more work to Wisbech and developed business synergies across all its operations.

“The workforce at the long established Moy Park site is loyal, hard working and flexible.

“Unite will be making the case during the 90 day consultation process to keep the jobs in Wisbech.”