NRegan

Last updated at 01:00, Friday, 14 September 2007

BOSSES at Maryport’s Cumbrian Seafoods factory are making good progress trying to reduce the number of job cuts at the plant.

The company had announced that up to 105 jobs could go at the Solway Road fish factory – the town’s biggest employer – when some processes are switched to the north east.

But managers say they are still committed to West Cumbria and are looking for new business for the factory.

A spokesman said: “The company is continuing to work hard on gaining new business and is making good progress. The full benefits of this have not yet been fully realised. The reorganisation process continues and, to date, there have not been any redundancies.”

The firm’s 437 workers in Maryport are still subject to 90-day consultation notices, the first step to redundancy.

Cumbrian Seafoods announced in April that it was switching coated fish and shellfish operations to the north east and that Maryport would become a “centre of excellence” for fresh and smoked fish and ready meals.

Bosses blamed a lack of available workers in Maryport, shortage of space to expand and lack of cold storage facilities.

The move sparked concern for the future of the business in the town, but news of a £1m investment in West Cumbria has allayed those fears. The cash will increase capacity at Maryport for fish-in-sauces ranges.

Maryport will also remain the focus for core parts of the firm’s operation including its fresh chilled fish business and smoked fish at sister company Grant’s, chairman Peter Vassallo said.

The firm will create 300 jobs at its new £10m factory at Seaham, County Durham.

First published at 16:28, Thursday, 24 January 2008
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk