THE workforce at Bromsgrove's new £3.5million Waitrose store will be cut by 20 per cent by the end of this month.

When the build was given the go-ahead in April 2016, residents were told by developers the supermarket giant would introduce 60 full and part-time jobs to the town centre.

Waitrose later confirmed 50 new positions, although 60 were hired.

But, two months after the store's grand opening at the old Market Hall site, 12 temporary partners have been told their positions will not continue past the end of their contracts on July 29.

One outraged staff member contacted the Advertiser, claiming they were led to believe their contract would be made permanent, and that employees were informed of their jobs terminating via a poster pinned to the store's notice board, giving them just three weeks to find new work.

The employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "No one has said anything to any of us. They just stuck a piece of paper to the notice board and the door to the staff room saying we're all losing our jobs at the end of the month.

"When they came to Bromsgrove they were bragging and bragging about all the jobs they were bringing to the town and it was all just for show.

"This is my sole source of income and now I've got to look for a new job, just a few months after I was struggling to find work before.

"They've given us false hope about getting permanent jobs when our contracts end, telling us we're part-owners in the company, and now they've turned round and said 'we don't want you anymore'.

"We've just been used to get the store up and running and now we've been booted out."

The worker claimed staff were only given the news verbally on Thursday (July 13), but Waitrose maintains meetings or phone conversations were held with all temporary partners more than a fortnight ago.

A spokesman for the store said: "We pride ourselves on having open and honest conversations with all our Partners. Our contracts are always clear and can be accessed or discussed at any time by an employee.

"Unfortunately we were unable to extend the contracts of all those who were employed on a temporary basis when we opened."