Haribo, a German-owned confectionery, is reportedly planning to lay off employees working at its facilities in Castleford and Pontefract in Yorkshire, UK.

The company allegedly initiated the consultation process to decide the future of the two production facilities.

However, a Haribo spokesperson said that the proposal does not include the closure of the facilities.

The spokesman said: “We are now entering a consultation process, so no further details can be provided regarding the number of potential redundancies.”

Haribo did not reveal the exact number of employees impacted as a result of the consultation process.

Currently, the company has a workforce of 732 people at its sites in Castleford and Pontefract.

MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford Yvette Cooper reportedly announced that the company was “consulting on hundreds of jobs losses.”

Cooper said: “The news that Haribo is consulting on hundreds of job losses is grim for everyone affected.

“Haribo is a really important employer in Pontefract with a hard-working workforce who have kept going throughout the Covid crisis which makes it even more of a blow for the town and for everyone who works there.”

Additionally, Wakefield Council said that the confectionary is planning to reduce its workforce at the Castleford site.

The council, through its Step-Up service, will work with the employees impacted by the company’s decision and help them find new jobs or training to start the next stage of their careers.

BBC quoted Haribo UK managing director Jon Hughes as saying that the move was aimed at protecting the company’s long-term future in Yorkshire.