MSP Jamie Greene hopes to meet management from Sainsbury’s in Saltcoats after he announced his concern over mooted jobs losses at the store.

Last week, the Herald reported that a number of jobs at the local Sainsbury’s could be axed following a consultation period.

However, supervisors and managers have not been named as those at risk.

The West Scotland Conservative MSP was concerned about the impact these potential redundancies could have on the individuals concerned.

He said: “Although there is a need for private companies to make changes to staff and their stores it is quite alarming to hear that up to a third of Sainsbury’s in Saltcoats could be facing redundancy.

“Unemployment and redundancy is challenging, not just financially but emotionally too.

“We often forget the deep emotional impact that losing your job can have on an individual so it’s up to politicians and business leaders to do all we can to mitigate these issues.

“As one of the larger employers in the area, any changes in staffing will likely have a ripple effect on the wider community. I’ll be writing to Sainsbury’s on this matter for clarification and to ensure that current employees won’t be facing a cliff-edge scenario and I hope to meet its management in the future to discuss this matter in more detail.”

Staff are set to find out in November whether they will lose their job with up to 20 staff likely to be let go by the retail giant.