MORE than 100 jobs are at risk at a Hull factory, a union official has said.
Household products producer McBride employs about 237 people in the city and 113 could be laid off.
The business, which makes aerosols in Sutton Fields Industrial Estate, earlier this week announced its national workforce would shrink by a quarter, with 400 positions to be axed.
GMB trade union officer Mick Coppin has met human resources staff and said although talks have so far been constructive, Hull would be hit hard.
He said: "Wherever possible, we want to mitigate job losses.
"We sorely hope it will be fewer than 113 but in an area like Hull, which can't afford job losses, it doesn't matter how many it is.
"When you've got such a substantial number from a local employer, the impact is monstrous."
Details are still being finalised and the union does not yet know if there will be opportunities for voluntary redundancy.
McBride presently operates a small night shift and Mr Coppin expects that to be scrapped entirely.
A 45-day consultation with workers began earlier this week.
The official understood the company needed to adapt to stay afloat.
He said: "There's a full day and afternoon shift at the Hull plant, and a small night shift – the intention is definitely to remove the night shift.
"They're saying to me and my national officers they want to work transparently with us, so we will be getting the detail.
"If they're being genuine in what they're saying, I would 100 per cent support them taking action to maintain their business, but we will be pushing on every door we can to limit job cuts."
McBride has factories in Hull, Barrow in Cumbria, Bradford and Middleton in Greater Manchester. It is seeking to save about £12m by the end of June 2016.
A spokesman for the firm said it had no further comment to make but when the cuts first went public, chief executive Chris Bull said: "We are announcing a robust plan that will help restore UK profitability.
"We will exit some business in non-core unprofitable categories, but our capacity to meet growth opportunities in our core categories remains unaffected.
"We will be entering into full and meaningful consultation with colleagues affected by these proposals."
McBride reported a £3.7m pre-tax profit for the second half of last year.
Hull workers were warned of possible cuts in April after it issued a warning over profits for the second time in three months.
In 2012, the firm entered consultation at the factory, then employing about 270 people, resulting in about 36 jobs lost.
McBride supplies supermarkets with own-brand products, from shower gels to dishwasher tablets, and also makes Oven Pride cleaner.
It has struggled with rising costs and falling margins since at least 2010.
The McBride factory is in the Hull East constituency of Labour MP Karl Turner.He said: "It is sad news jobs are to be lost at McBride and another blow for manufacturing in Hull.
"I will be working with the company and my constituents to mitigate the impact of cuts as much as possible.
"It is encouraging to hear McBride are engaging with the union and I hope they continue to be open and transparent."
