TRADE unions urged high-street giant John Lewis today to engage with workforce representatives to ensure that staff receive fair treatment after the company announced eight more store closures.

The department store chain told staff that, due to a major shift in strategy, it will not reopen the stores when its other outlets resume business amid the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The news means that another 1,465 John Lewis jobs across Britain are at risk, on top of the roughly 1,300 already in jeopardy from store closures announced last year.