Imperial Tobacco Group has announced it is to cut 2,400 jobs worldwide following its acquisition of French-Spanish tobacco firm Altadis back in January.
Imperial Tobacco is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company and purchased Altadis for 12.6 billion euros (£9.9 billion).
The restructure will be implemented over the next 3 years and will result in the closure of six factories within its portfolio of 58 sites.
The group will axe 870 jobs in Spain, 250 in Germany and 100 in Russia as well as 1,060 jobs in France.
The tobacco giant said its factory in Nottingham will axe 210 jobs, while its cigar factory in Bristol, which employs 75 people, will close down and cigar production will be transferred to Spain.
However, the restructuring will create in an additional 200 jobs in Poland.
A spokesperson for the group said it was regrettable that the Bristol factory had to close but the industry is under a severe amount of pressure.
Iain MacLean, of the Unite union, said it’s early days but we will be fighting for every job and there will be absolutely no acceptance of any compulsory redundancies.
Together, the firm’s brands include Lambert & Butler, West and Gauloises.
