NINETEEN jobs in Okehampton could be lost following the announcement by Rentokil Initial that it is closing its loss-making linen and workwear operations. The Okehampton depot for Initial Textile Services on the North Road industrial estate will continue to operate in other areas of the business and staff may be deployed to other roles within Rentokil Initial. The company is currently in a 90-day consultation period with affected staff to finalise how many jobs will go. The company recently announced the UK linen and workwear operations will close on April 30 this year, as it looks to focus on its washroom and dustmat business. The linen and workwear operations currently employ some 2,000 people across the UK, and the company has a nationwide network comprising 12 plants and 35 dedicated service centres. West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox said: ?Any job losses are a serious matter and what we have got to be doing is trying to encourage as many new businesses as possible to set up in this area. ?It is sad to hear we are actually losing jobs in Okehampton. There is a difficult time ahead in the economy. I believe there is more we could be doing to encourage a better climate in West Devon for employment.? Mr Cox added that he would be working with West Devon Borough Council and other agencies to achieve this aim. Rentokil Initial says as well as working to minimise potential redundancies, it is also in discussions with customers to ensure continuity of service with alternative suppliers. The company had been looking to exit the loss-making linen and workwear elements of Initial Hygiene UK for more than 12 months and so the announcement came as little surprise to many staff. Doug Flynn, chief executive of Rentokil Initial plc, said: ?Our UK linen and workwear activities have sustained considerable losses for several years and the need to exit this operation has been clear for some time. ?It is always a difficult decision to close an operation, especially one that employs so many people. We are committed to doing all we can to minimise the level of redundancies and to support all our employees and customers affected by the closure.?
