UNION officials are still in talks with Shop Direct bosses over the future of nearly 2,000 staff after the announcement that three major sites would close.

The retailer plans to move its distribution operation to the East Midlands by the mid-2020s, affecting 1,177 permanent and 815 agency staff from centres in Little Hulton and Oldham.

READ MORE: 150 jobs could go as Shop Direct announces closure plans

Around 103 of these employees were working at the ‘Fulfilment Centre’ in Lester Road, Little Hulton, where products are sent before being shipped out on behalf of brands such as Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com.

Immediately following the announcement, Worsley and Eccles South MP Barbara Keeley met with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and union officials to discuss a plan for the future.

In a joint statement, the group called the decision to relocate the sites a “bombshell” saying staff had been left “devastated”.

There are now plans to provide these staff with further training and help to find new jobs in the run-up to the relocation.

Shop Direct’s interim chief executive Derek Harding said in April that the decision to move the sites was largely down to Greater Manchester’s outdated road network, which was hampering distribution.

He explained that the firm aims to offer next day deliver for orders before midnight, rather than the 7pm deadline it is currently able to give customers.