DFDS yet to decide how many of its 650 redundancies will be from UK ports including Dover
Published: 16:11, 16 July 2020
Updated: 16:24, 16 July 2020
Ferry operator DFDS is still to calculate how many redundancies it will make at UK ports including Dover.
The Danish international shipping and logistics company announced on June 30 that 650 jobs would be lost across the company.
A spokeswoman told Kentonline today (Thursday) that it has been making the assessment on a port-by-port basis.
According to the spokeswoman it has finished looking at the European locations and will next appraise staffing in Newcastle and then at the ports of Dover and Newhaven.
It could take a month to six weeks before a decision is reached and staff are told.
An announcement when the the news broke said the restructure is to take a "commercial focus of freight strengthened by change of business structure" and "passenger concepts and operations will be adapted to new market conditions".
It comes as cross channel competitor P&O Ferries nears the end of its 1,100 redundancy programme. The Dubai-owned ferry giant said this is to allow it to shrink to the correct size post Covid 19.
P&OF furloughed 1,400 staff at the end of March and in April as it shifted to a freight dominated model when tourism demand halted during the travel ban.
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Beth Robson