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Union condemns Ipswich port redundancy offer as 'insult'
Page 8
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Jobs will be lost following the closure of the Ferryways RO-RO service to Ostend, but ABP has refused arbitration. David Harris reports.
THE LOSS OF the Ferryways RO-RO service between Ipswich and Ostend has led to 44 redundancies at the UK port.
The T8cG Unite union is not satisfied with the deal offered by port operator Associated British Ports (ABP), describing the redundancy offer of £1,400 above the legal minimum as "an insult to an employee with 30 years' service".
It has also condemned AF1P's refusal to refer the situation to the arbitration service ACAS.
Victor Brankiewicz. regional industrial organiser for the T&G, says: "Despite discussions with the local and head office management of ABP, the company has refused to improve the redundancy payments. We know that some employees would he willing to leave voluntarily if better payments were on offer." The company says: "ABP is still actively involved in the formal consultation process with staff and Unite concerning the regrettable redundancies in Ipswich, which are entirely the result of the recent collapse of the ferry operator, Ferryways NV, "On this basis, we are unable to comment on the contents of the recent Unite press releases."
The closure of the freight route in June came within days of Ferryways being bought by its new owner, Cobelfret, which is based in Belgium.
A Belgian court has appointed administrators to investigate Ferryways' finances, but this is not expected to save the jobs at its UK subsidiary.
www.roadtransoort.com/cm