Fish carrier announcies redundancies and pay cuts – Fishupdate.com

Fish carrier announcies redundancies and pay cuts Published:  02 December, 2008

EIMSKIP, the big fish carrier between Iceland, Britain and the European mainland, has announced big economies including fewer operating vessels and a 10 per cent pay reduction for some of its workers.

The number of ships serving the import and export trade has been reduced from 11 to eight along with cuts in the number of sailings.

Eimskip, which has a big UK base near Grimsby, brings in chilled and temperature controlled fish supplies from Iceland and the Faroe Islands to the Humber markets, at least once and sometimes twice a week but it thought that these shipments will not be affected.

The company has about 1,500 staff with some 900 based in Iceland. Eimskip says it hopes to save around £11 million a year from the economies including £2.5 million from pay cuts and reductions in shifts and overtime. However, 72 people are still being made redundant in Europe and Iceland.

Chief executive and president Gylfi Sigfusson said: ‘Just as any other company in Iceland, Eimskip is going through a rough period, notably in the import sector. On top of that the situation in the international transport and financial markets is proving to be a difficult one. In the light of this, Eimskip had few choices, but these substantial arrangements.’

Just four weeks ago the rival fish carrying company Samskip, which also brings fish from Iceland and the Faroes, announced sailings cutbacks for the same reason, although fish movements into the Humber were unaffected

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