Crisis at the Port of Yarmouth

http://www.unitetheunion.com/news__events/latest_news/crisis_at_the_port_of_yarmouth.aspx?lang=en-gb

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.”