More than 500 ParknShop fresh-food workers have been laid off as part of an outsourcing scheme, it was confirmed yesterday.
In a statement to the media, ParknShop said it has completed its latest operational restructuring, in which 525 staff from the fresh fish, bakery, hot meals and siu mei counters - 6 per cent of its workforce - had been affected.
The operator said about 60 per cent of the affected staff had since been rehired by its suppliers.
'As the rehiring by our operating suppliers is still going on, we expect the number of rehirings by the suppliers will further increase, therefore the ultimate number of staff affected is limited,' it said.
ParknShop said it had issued guidelines to its suppliers requiring them to comply strictly with the labour law when rehiring the staff and warned them that violation of the guidelines could lead to contract termination.
It also reiterated its decision to outsource its frontline services.