NEGOTIATIONS over redundancy terms and outplacement support at Triumph International have finally begun after the lingerie firm confirmed 80 employees would face the axe in June.

Triumph, its current warehouse operator Menlo, Unite and workforce representatives sat down together for the first time on Friday when details of the company’s future at Groundwell were finally confirmed.

As a result of Triumph terminating its contract with Menlo and moving operations to Obernai, in France, all 76 employees at the latter will officially be transferred to Triumph and then made redundant, along with four other Triumph staff.

Facts on the financial packages employees will be offered, when they are made redundant and whether they will receive any support in finding new jobs are yet to be established, although Unite is pressing to be given answers.

John McGookin,the regional officer for Unite in Swindon, said: “A lot of questions have been submitted by the workforce and we are expecting answers early this week.

“Triumph are doing what is required to be done by the letter of the law, but remaining very tight-lipped on detail.”

The only date on the table by Triumph since it made its April 14 announcement is June 9, which has now been earmarked as the date the transfer of employees is likely to take place.

However, dates for contracts to end have not been decided and a skeleton staff may be required to stay on site until the end of the year to assist with the closing down of the warehouse.

A number of questions remain outstanding and Mr McGookin is expecting Triumph to deliver some answers at follow-up consultation meetings due on Wednesday and Friday.

“The bulk of those being made redundant are likely to go around June, but there are specific questions I am still waiting for answers on,” he said.

“We need a time when the release programme will begin.

“There has been no talk of anything other than a statutory package at the moment, but we are obviously seeking to improve on that for our members.

“There’s a significant group of those in line to leave who have been there 20 years plus and moved to Groundwell with the business from Cheney Manor.

“Triumph has a moral obligation to those people in terms of financial stability,when you look at the current jobs market.”

Triumph has declined to comment.