News

The Leader of Dover District Council has expressed concern at news that SeaFrance is to shed 127 jobs in East Kent following news yesterday that the ferry firm was liquidated by a French court and told to cease activity.

Dungeness could yet see a new nuclear power station being built after hopes were raised by the recent announcement in the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Creative Foundation is currently recruiting for a number of summer positions for the Folkestone Triennial.

A warning has been made that thousands of job seekers in the South East risk being penalised in a revamp on benefits.

About 35 Kent County Council workers have taken part in a demonstration in Maidstone over a 1% pay increase offer.

Unison union branch secretary David Lloyd said staff at the rally outside County Hall were angry because the plan will leave the lowest-paid worst off.

Members of the union are to vote in a ballot over whether to strike in the fight over the offer next month.
 

Plans announced on Tuesday (15 January) by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to lay off between 5 and 8 per cent of their global workforce threatens up to 240 people at the Sandwich development plant.

The Leader of Dover District Council has expressed concern at news that jobs are under threat but says that the Council is working with partner agencies and the pharmaceutical company to help retain jobs in the area.

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council said: “We are of course concerned to hear that jobs are under threat at the Pfizer site in Sandwich and about the effect this will have on our local communities.

"The company has been talking to us about possible changes, and we have been made aware that they are redesigning the configuration at Sandwich as part of their long term commitment to this globally important site.

"These are specialist jobs, and we are working with a range of partners to set up a special liaison group to work with Pfizer to see if staff can be relocated, and to see if these jobs can be retained in the East Kent economy.�

 

Police reinforcements were drafted in to move protesters from the entrance to Dover's Eastern Docks after they blocked the road to traffic entering the port.

The Dover strikers, who were unable to make little impact during their first strike in the dispute 10 days ago, were today joined by French trade unionists and dockers from Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth and Tilbury who marched to the Eastern Docks with Unite officials.

More than a hundred flag waving protestors and strikers called for the chief executive of Dover Harbour Board,  Bob Goldfield, to be sacked.

This was the dockers second strike in the dispute over their employer's plans to outsource 190 jobs, and will run until midday on Saturday (29 November).

With just a month before Christmas, more than 100 SpeedFerries workers are facing redundancy after no buyer could be found for the failed ferry operator.

The company, which operated their only craft SpeedOne between Dover and Boulogne, went into administration earlier in the month.

Administrators from Ernst & Young said they had tried to save the business but found no buyers.

A statement issued by the administrators said: "The majority of employees were today made redundant and the joint administrators will now look to wind down the business accordingly.

"Workshops have been set up to assist employees on claiming their statutory redundancy entitlements."

Gwyn Prosser, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, said a government rapid deployment team would be in Dover on Wednesday (26 November) to help workers.

The Gazette has learned that six ex-Gurkha soldiers being trained by Dover Harbour Board to moor ships in case of an industrial dispute at the port have withdrawn from the port following a personal intervention from Lib Dem ex-Gurkha Councillor Dhan Gurung.

The former Gurkha soldiers were drafted in by Dover Harbour Board to moor ships in the event of industrial action, with union members currently being balloted over Harbour Board plans to transfer around 200 workers to the private sector.

Councillor Gurung has spoken to union leaders and the ex-Gurkhas.

The six men who had been trained were not aware of the reasons behind the industrial action, and have left the port agreeing not to return to cover strike action.

Dhan Gurung, a Liberal Democrat Councillor for Cheriton on Folkestone Town Council, said: "When I spoke to the men directly this morning, they were unaware of the problems surrounding the port.

"Despite the very difficult circumstances they are in, they are very grateful for the support that the British people are giving the Gurkha cause, and in no way want to do anything that harms those who have supported them so strongly.

"Having spoken to them, they now understand the issues, and have agreed not to work at the port under these circumstances. I thank them for doing so: the Nepalese community in East Kent are proud of our home, proud of the fantastic support we have seen for our right to stay in this country from local people, and proud to play our full part in the wider community."