TWO major employers today announced plans to axe more than 2,200 jobs.
Northern Foods, which owns Fox's Biscuits at Batley, said it was shedding 1,060 jobs with the closure of two pastry factories.
And shipping giant P&O said 1,200 jobs would go with the closure of four of its 13 ferry routes.
Northern Foods, which also owns Dalepak frozen food business and Goodfellas pizzas said the plants in Evesham, Worcestershire, and Carlisle would close next year.
The move follows a cull of 30 senior management jobs earlier this year.
Northern Foods said the job cuts would generate annual savings of £10m.
P&O plans to reduce the number of ships it operates from 31 to 23.
The company said it expected to save £55m a year from the cutbacks.
P&O said its tourist traffic had been "adversely affected by fewer day trips and the expansion of the low-cost airlines".
The cuts will effect cross-Channel services - although P&O said that service frequency and capacity in peak periods would be unchanged.
The company said it was also seeking "new, more flexible manning arrangements and changes in work practices".
