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Tesco criticised over ‘callous’ depot closure tweet

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By John Glenday, Reporter

July 3, 2013 | 2 min read

Tesco has become embroiled in a political row after a senior manager penned a ‘callous’ tweet celebrating the closure of five depots.

The restructuring exercise affects around 2,000 people in Essex, Surrey and Derbyshire

Harlow MP Robert Halfon reacted angrily to the tweet, posted on Monday by distribution director Steve Strachota and since deleted, which read: “5 depots closing and 3 new ones ready to go. Awesome teamwork, courageous leadership, a bit of luck. #worldclass.”

Halfron said in an open letter to Tesco: “It seems to me that, given what has happened in Harlow, and the upset it caused to many people, your senior managers appear to be wallowing in what they have done.

"I find it very sad that a company that I have had huge respect for seems to be so callous in their treatment of workers, many of whom have given over 20 years of service to Tesco."

A Tesco spokesperson apologised for any offence caused, saying: “This tweet was intended to acknowledge that difficult decisions had been taken in order to make significant changes to our distribution network.

"Steve has spoken to our colleagues at Harlow in person to explain this and they recognised that it should be seen in that context."

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