Fairline Boats has temporarily laid off more than a third of its work force, according to workers’ union Unite
The buy-out of Fairline Boats by Wessex Bristol has had a knock-on effect on the Oundle yard’s workforce, it has emerged.
Workers’ union Unite has said that 109 of the 300 workers currently employed by Fairline have been temporarily laid off.
The decision was made “to address immediate short-term issues” and staff will return to work within five weeks, according to Wessex Bristol CEO Ayiaz Ahmed.
In an interview with local newspaper Peterborough Today, the new Fairline chief said: “This is in no way an indication of the long term vision for Fairline but an unfortunate unintended consequence of the current business climate.”
However, the response from Unite has been highly critical, with regional officer Sean Kettle saying that the workforce was in “a state of shock”.
“Questions are being raised over the selection process for the 109 of the 300 workers and that the right to appeal the decision was denied,” he told the news provider.
“I would urge the new owners to see Unite and its members as part of the solution in creating a successful boat building company.”
Fairline recently attended the Southampton Boat Show and unveiled the Targa 53 (pictured above), its first brand new model in twelve months.
