IT WAS the shock news that surprised nobody. When the Body Shop announced yesterday that 300 jobs have been axed at the company's Littlehampton operations it confirmed endless rumour and speculation. But just three months ago the firm was adamant no figure for job losses had been set and it pledged to support the town.

LAST January Body Shop joint chairman Gordon Roddick faced the press to discuss the company's changing fortunes.

Despite a dramatic drop in the profits his mood was not all doom and gloom.

Rumours of job losses had been circulating among staff for months.

Many feared for the future of their positions and they were worried that a restructuring plan underway in the company could lessen its commitment to its home town.

Mr Roddick maintained the Body Shop had a "solid commitment to Littlehampton", insisting he and Anita "both love the town and wish to see it grow and prosper".

Insult

For staff no longer having a job with the firm, his words have added insult to their injury.

Atotal of 300 positions have been cut as the Body Shop empire attempts to turn around the dramatic downturn in its fortune.

Shares are at an all-time low and the firm is restructuring to save an estimated £8 million.

Yesterday the company said the restructuring process had to be the priority.

In announcing the news, the company said it was remaining true to its values and ethical standards, consulting individually with the workers whose posts will go.

Its statement added: "Companies that lose a sense of humanity towards their stakeholders, be they employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders, and the community at large, lose more than just profit.

"Over the past years we have learned that our stakeholders' concern for our shared values is the glue that holds us together."

But the claims have done little to appease staff made redundant, who say they were left in the dark about the proposals until the last minute.

Nigel Hodder, 34, of Wick Parade, Littlehampton, worked at the Body Shop as a fork lift truck driver until last week. He is now unemployed.

He said: "There were so many rumours going round but the company did not have the decency to say what was going to happen for months.

"The Body Shop should have come clean as soon as they knew. People have been worried silly about this.

"Everyone there is very angry with the Body Shop. This has been going on since Christmas and people have been afraid to speak out in case they lost their jobs. At least now they know."

His comments were echoed by other staff who have kept their jobs.

One worker, who asked not to be named, feels the company only cares about employees and the community when it is making a profit.

He said: "It's easy to make grand statements of togetherness when you're making pots of money, but now that profits have slumped it's every man for himself.

"A lot of people are very worried about their futures, and no one will tell them anything concrete.

"The place is full of rumours and I'm sure it's not easy for the people running the Body Shop, but they could be more up-front with us."

Another 61-year-old worker, who has been at the company for seven years, said the job losses have led to all staff feeling insecure about their future.

He said: "People here don't really know how their jobs are going to stand in the future.

"The company has been bluffing for months and saying everybody's jobs are safe, and the next minute they announce 320 jobs have gone.

"I think the company could have been more open and honest about what's happening.

"The mood among staff is not very good at the moment. Everybody is worried about whether or not they still have a job and we keep getting conflicting information about the company's future.

"We now hear the Wick site is not being closed down as we previously thought.

"There's supposed to be an announcement very shortly, and I understand a South African company could be about to take us over."

Littlehampton mayor Rosemary Orpin also believes that, despite its claims, the Body Shop is putting profits before employees.

Coun Orpin said: "This is horrific news. For a small community like ours this is a lot of jobs to lose in one go.

"I knew there were going to be job losses, but I was hoping, and thought, there would not be so many.

"I thought Body Shop was more community-minded than this. It is a sad day when profits are more important than jobs."

John Stevens, chairman of the Littlehampton Traders Partnership, said: "Any announcement of jobs being lost is not welcome at all. It is especially bad for all those people it affects."

Bognor and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb said: "This is bad news, but not unexpected.

"My hope is that compulsory redundancies are kept to an absolute minimum and that every effort is made to help people find new jobs."

Union leaders said the job loss announcement had been badly handled by the company, but added there was an air of acceptance about the situation.

Jared Stevenson, branch chairman of the Transport and General Workers Union at Littlehampton, said: "It has not been well-handled, but it is necessary to keep the business running.

"Employees have pretty much come to terms with it. It has been a long process."

Financial experts said last night that the firm had to plan for the future.

Lewes-based stockbroker Charles Dampney: "They are starting a major restructuring of the business, and planning so they can cope with the modern world. They are a massive employer in Littlehampton."

When the company began that process, Patrick Gournay was the man brought in as the new chief executive.

He was recruited from the French food group Danone and has been joined by American retail executive Adrian Bellamy.

At the time of his appointment, Anita Roddick moved herself upstairs to become joint chairman with her husband Gordon.

The Body Shop shake-up includes closing the Wick plant and concentrating all work at the Watersmead site while the firm finds a buyer for its manufacturing arm.

It is a very different business to the one started by Anita Roddick in a small shop in Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 23 years ago.

The business has mushroomed since those early days and now has more than 1,660 stores in 47 countries.

Stores can be found as far afield as Antigua, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Qatar, Portugal, Brunei and Japan.

Group turnover for the last year was up four per cent to £303.7 million, of which 60 per cent relates to international markets. But operating profit fell from £38.1 million to £24.6 million.

News on who is buying the manufacturing arm of the company is not expected until next month but industry insiders have pointed at Boots and Richard Branson's Virgin Vie group as likely bidders.

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