There will be some initial job losses but supermarket giant Woolworths says its revamp of operations in Victoria will lead eventually to a bigger workforce.
Woolworths has announced plans to invest more than $650 million in new stores and infrastructure and add more than 2000 staff to its Victorian workforce over the next three years.
The company admits some jobs will go, but will not say exactly how many, as it builds a new meat processing facility in Laverton and moves its distribution centre from Broadmeadows to southeast Melbourne.
The bulk of job losses are set to affect workers at the distribution centre, with director of supermarket operations Pat McEntee saying the company will assist affected staff over the next three years to work through options available to them.
"Both investments will require us to make changes in our existing network," Mr McEntee said in a statement on Tuesday.
"As Woolworths changes some existing roles will be discontinued and where possible our staff have access to new opportunities."
Together the two projects will support more than 510 continuing full-time jobs and create many more construction jobs during the works, Mr McEntee says.
The Broadmeadows site now employs 350 staff.
Woolworths has been lagging behind rival supermarket Coles and believes the new investment will help its sluggish sales growth.
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