Red Funnel is to cut around 40 jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been announced this afternoon (Wednesday).
Up to 50 roles across its head office, support and operational functions will be placed at risk, while 12 new roles will be created to ensure the company is in the strongest position to move forward. This means an estimated 38 jobs will be lost – 7.4% of the workforce.
The company says that this decision follows a prolonged downturn in passenger and vehicle crossings over the peak summer period as a direct result of COVID-19.
Chief Executive Officer, Fran Collins, said:
“It is our priority to protect as many jobs as possible while ensuring our vital travel link is in a strong position to continue delivering high levels of customer services and that we continue to support the Island as we have done for the last 160 years.
“Adapting to seasonal differences in operating timetables is something we’re used to doing but it’s clear that COVID-19 has had a far bigger and more sustained impact than we anticipated. While the easing of travel restrictions has seen a recent increase in demand, the effects of the pandemic will continue to impact travel patterns for the foreseeable future.
“Our people are the absolute heart of our business and my Red Funnel colleagues are among some of the most dedicated that I’ve worked with in my career, and that makes this message incredibly difficult to deliver.
“This is a situation we have tried very hard to avoid, but we are committed to serving the Isle of Wight as we support our colleagues through this very difficult time.”
Article continues below this advertisement “We are fully committed to serving the Isle of Wight community and maintaining our day-to-day operations. This process will not affect our published timetables or frequency of service and will not affect our ongoing commitment to staff and passenger safety.”
Deputy council leader, Councillor Stuart Hutchinson, has today said:
“We are very sorry to hear today’s announcement concerning job losses at Red Funnel, arising out of the continuing effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We know this may well affect some Red Funnel employees and their families living on the Island, and that it comes during challenging and unprecedented times.
“The council has been working closely with the Island’s Transport Infrastructure Board, our MP and the ferry operators during the pandemic to try to facilitate government support for these crucial businesses to our economy – and we will continue to do so to ensure the protection of these vital services and their employees.
“The effects of the pandemic are of course being felt across all sectors and we will continue to do our utmost to help the Island’s residents and our economy into recovery and a stronger future.”
Red Funnel currently employs 508 staff members working in a number of roles critical to supporting the vital link between the Isle of Wight and Southampton.
Chairman of the Island’s transport infrastructure board, Christopher Garnett, has said:
“We have worked very closely with Red Funnel during this very difficult period, and know what extraordinary financial pressures they and the other cross-Solent operators have been under to provide services and crucial Island links during the pandemic. They have made incredible efforts on behalf of Island residents, businesses and our visitors – and very sadly despite these efforts, they have been forced into this position.
“As a board we will continue to closely support them and the other operators as they work to ensure vital services to and from the Island are maintained.”
With all these growing job loses, let’s up our Government slash immigration numbers to counteract some of the pain in trying to find another position for people.
Certainly will not require the huge numbers we already have, let alone more, as those already settled here often have large families thus ensuring future needs and then some.
40 jobs to go at red funnel what so they go then the boat fares will go up then lol
They have stopped lots of boats because they weren’t full, that’s why we see lost jobs.
Expect more of the same, they don’t give a fig if it inconvenience the travelling public, share holders matter more.
thats just it .truth…there aren’t the people travelling. Red Funnel are losing money hand over fist and no longer get a subsidy as they once did. How do you think they finance the running of all those ferries they have, when the passengers aren’t buying tickets to travel? Where does the money come to buy spares, fuel, pay salaries?
do you think this is an alice in wonderland, tax payer funded, slush fund, with a ferry company in it.
it is a “for profit” enterprise and if people don’t travel – then cuts are made and deep.
Wish they would all go. Maybe then we could have a decent ferry company that cares about the Island populations health, at least the money grabbing tactics and lack of stopping the 2nd homeowners and holiday makers coming here during the lockdown didn’t get them anywhere really. Time for a responsible ferry company to move in.
And before anyone says “they didn’t come over during the lockdown” oh yes they did.
And this is what you get without the tourists, there will be many more islanders losing their jobs in the coming months. However the selfish will be tucked up indoors moaning about how many BAME presenters now read the news and how much better things were in the 70s…
You hit the nail on the head! So true.
the truth – that is correct, the tree hugging, do gooder, lefties, in their academic tax payer funded jobs or other tax payer funded jobs, such as social workers, will be sat at home unaffected and whinging that someone has forgotten to include some other minority in its rainbow of presenters, whilst the private sector and impoverished again, by a bunch of unaffected, tax payer funded, mp’s and scientists that do not have a clue.
more people are dying of flu and pneumonia than covid – never any lockdown for that though
Too true, but the bigots keep down voting your comments.
if i remember correctly earlier in the year they were cancelling sailings because of staff shortages,
so what happens next year.
Not good at all think there will be a lot more people getting layed off sad times ahead
I have always thought that the ferries should be treated as part of the country’s road system. Obviously there would be problems in effecting it, but there are lots of clever people out there who could do it – if only they were allowed to get on with it.