Tesco says 1,600 jobs at risk as overnight re-stocking roles scrapped

Tesco said 1,600 jobs were at risk as it announced a further round of restructuring across its store network.

Britain’s biggest supermarket said it was moving overnight re-stocking to the daytime in 36 large stores and 49 convenience stores.

It is also converting 36 of its petrol stations to become pay-at-pump only sites during overnight hours.

The announcement comes a day after Tesco said it was scrapping its discount store brand Jack’s with the closure of seven stores and loss of around 130 jobs, while also shutting meat, deli and fish counters at more than 300 sites.

It said that the combined result of the announcements would be to put around 1,600 roles at risk of redundancy across the business but that it aimed to offer alternative roles to as many as possible, with 3,000 vacancies currently needing to be filled.

Tesco said the changes to overnight roles came after it found that by moving stock replenishment to daytime trading hours it could ensure more staff were on the shop floor to help customers at peak times.

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Jason Tarry, Tesco’s UK and Ireland boss, said: “We operate in a highly competitive and fast-paced market and our customers are shopping differently, especially since the start of the pandemic.

“We are always looking at how we can run our business as simply and efficiently as possible, so that we can re-invest in the things that matter most to customers.

“The changes we are announcing today will help us do this.

“Our priority now is to support our impacted colleagues through these changes and, wherever possible, find them alternative roles within our business.”

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A spokesperson for the supermarket said workers on the night shift were only informed of the changes to overnight roles on Monday evening, which was why the announcements were not made at the same time.