Crisis at the Port of Yarmouth
17 June 2009
Unite, the UK’s biggest union, is angered by the news today
(Wednesday) that the 11 remaining dock workers at the Port of
Yarmouth are to be made redundant.
The dock has proposed to dismiss these permanent dockers in the
coming weeks stating it will bring in casual workers. These
redundancies follow a further five dockers who were made redundant
just a few weeks ago.
Unite understands that the port owners, International Port
Holdings (IPH), has been more than willing to take millions of
pounds of state subsidy for the port development, but has not kept
its promise to promote the regeneration of Great Yarmouth. The port
has now lost its core skills workforce.
Victor Brazkiewicz, Regional Industrial Organiser for Unite,
said: “The new port management have decimated and demoralised the
port workforce since they took control. To add insult to injury, it
is now looking to replace our members with casual labour.
“Morale, trust and confidence in the port management is at an
all time low, created by the style of management that is disjointed
and heavy-handed, causing a number of individuals to resign in
addition to the redundancies.
“Some of these dockers have been employed at the port for over
20 years and were looking forward to being involved in the new
outer harbour. They now feel that they have been betrayed. In
addition, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) who are partners
with IPH in the port development have been seeking labour through a
recruitment agency, bypassing the current workforce.”
Mike Gibbons, the dockers’ executive member for Unite added: “We
will not let this matter rest and will continue to campaign to stop
Yarmouth becoming a ‘port of convenience’. The union will use all
means possible, including our international contacts, to prevent
these redundancies and the casualisation of the workforce.”
ENDS
For further information contact Mark Di-Toro in the Unite press
office on 07918 640 579 or Victor Brazkiewicz in the Ipswich
District Office on 01473 250321.
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