Dumfriesshire MSP Oliver Mundell has expressed deep disappointment at news that 14 jobs could be lost at the Arla Foods factory at Lockerbie.
The partly farmer-owned company, which recently invested £5.5 million to upgrade processing facilities on the site, plans to transfer the current packaging operation to a sister factory at Oswestry.
They have started a consultation process with the workers involved.
However, Arla have indicated that the switching of additional cheese production from another site to Lockerbie should prevent what could have been higher potential job losses at the Dumfriesshire site.
Mr Mundell said: “This is extremely bad news and my thoughts are with those affected at Arla’s Lockerbie plant and their families.
“The proposed loss of these jobs follows a particularly difficult period for the wider area and its economy.
“It comes hot on the heals of the planned closure of Pinneys factory at Annan and last week’s confirmation that Edinburgh Woollen Mill intends moving 190 jobs from Langholm to Carlisle.
“I will be keeping in touch with Arla Foods to see if anything can be done to further minimise the impact on Lockerbie of their national restructuring proposals.”
Mr Mundell added: “With all the damaging employment news in the area recently I will be renewing my call for urgent investment by both the new South of Scotland Economic Partnership and the Borderlands Initiative.”
