8:00am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Diana Henderson
FEARS are growing over major job cuts at Poole Port following the axing of the Barfleur.
The loss of Brittany Ferries’ year-round cross-Channel ferry service will mean a drop in income of more than 20 per cent.
Now Poole Harbour Commissioners are in talks with staff and unions over a reduction in numbers of full-time staff. There are currently about 120.
“It is very likely there will be redundancies as a result of the departure of the Barfleur,” said chief executive Jim Stewart.
“It has a huge impact on us. We have lost over 20 per cent of revenue. Consequently it’s unavoidable – we have to look to the structure of the business going forward.”
He said no redundancy numbers had been decided – although an employee told the Echo they had been told 65 jobs were at risk, covering every department.
“We are in talks with our employees and our unions. I would expect us to make some decisions very shortly,” said Mr Stewart.
Brittany Ferries’ shock announcement that it was withdrawing the Barfleur passenger ferry after 17 years and ending the year-round link between Poole and Cherbourg, came last December.
Although the port retains the Cotentin freight ferry, the Normandie Vitesse fast ferry running daily from May to September, and has Condor Ferries and Channel Seaways to the Channel Islands as well as cargo traffic, its 2008/9 turnover of £9.492 million will suffer.
One long-serving employee said: “Everybody is very, very concerned. Nobody is telling anybody anything.”
Cllr Ron Parker, Borough of Poole cabinet portfolio holder for the local economy, said the council had suspected that the axing of the Barfleur would lead to redundancies.
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