A UNION leader today declared his support for the Evening Press campaign to keep Terry's in York.

GMB organiser John Kirk said: "The GMB is prepared to support any campaign that hopefully will keep Terry's in York and provide employment for its staff."

He said that the more influential organisations, such as the Press, the council, MPs and Yorkshire Forward, were prepared to become involved in efforts to save Terry's, the more workers might be prepared to believe it really did still have a future.

He said he would ensure the Press petition, calling for Terry's to remain in the York area, was circulated to members from the factory.

Terry's American owners Kraft Foods intend closing the factory and moving production of household name products such as All Gold and Chocolate Orange to factories across Europe.

The Evening Press's campaign mirrors the GMB's stance, which is that while Terry's probably needs to move from its under-utilised factory near York Racecourse, it should instead relocate to a new purpose-built site in the York area.

The company has a statutory duty to consult with the GMB and also the Amicus union over its closure proposals.

Mr Kirk said that the vital first step would be for the company to provide detailed financial information to explain why it had taken the decision.

Only then could the union try to build its case to persuade Kraft to reconsider moving to a new factory in the York area.

Many workers have appeared to take a fatalistic approach to the company's decision, believing that it cannot be reversed.

But Mr Kirk believed this could change as more influential organisations got behind union attempts to persuade the company to change its mind.

Asked if he believed the Department for Trade and Industry should intervene to try to prevent the loss of jobs, he said he believed it would be very difficult for the Government to become involved.

But he said it was undoubtedly easier for international companies to make people redundant in this country than others in Europe, such as France and Germany.

York MP Hugh Bayley said he planned today to try to raise the Terry's issue, and the general problem of manufacturing jobs going abroad, in the Commons.

He said he hoped to ask the Leader of the House, Peter Hain, if he had concerns about the proposed closure and the loss of jobs abroad, and if he would raise the issue with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, and ask if the Government could take any action to address the problem.

Updated: 10:36 Thursday, April 22, 2004