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Nelson Thornes has confirmed that 31 redundancies have been made today (20th December) as part of the company's merger with Oxford University Press.
These redundancies are understood to follow an earlier 12 made at the company in October. A further stage of consultation is expected to conclude in February.
The current phase of redundancies came after a consultation with 50 staff members. Nineteen secured new roles at OUP but 31 have taken redundancy.
Nelson Thornes has also revealed that it will close its online tutoring service iTutor. In a statement, the company said it has informed tutors and customers involved of the closure of the service. “While the product was ahead of its time when it launched in 2011, it did not gain the expected traction in the market, and will cease to operate from today,” Nelson Thornes said.
The company added that it took the welfare of its employees “extremely seriously”, and engaged with an elected staff body in order to ensure a “fair and transparent consultation process.” Nelson Thornes also said it offered flexible working arrangements and assistance with travel for those considering new roles, and has implemented a range of measures designed to support employees facing redundancy.
Richard Hodson, managing director of Nelson Thornes, said: “The consultations have been difficult for those involved, but I have been hugely impressed with the professionalism of our colleagues at this time and I am pleased that we were able to find roles for a significant number of people within the wider organisation. The integration process will continue in the coming months, and helping our employees through the process continues to be a priority for us.”
Nelson Thornes said it was “not possible to speculate about any possible additional redundancies at this stage.”
Fiona Swarbrick, national organiser for books for the NUJ, said the union was disappointed the employees moving across to Oxford had been employed on original Nelson Thornes terms, which were worse than OUP's for pay and benefits.
OUP acquired Nelson Thornes in January 2013. In early next year the company’s product range will join the wider OUP Oxford Education division.