Condor: union claims are absurd

The comments made by the RMT union on our treatment of employees, as you reported, are both inflammatory and totally inaccurate. We are disappointed that you continue to publish absurd claims made by the RMT in relation to our staff.

Condor Ferries is a responsible employer and has taken all reasonable measures to protect employees and minimise redundancies during the pandemic.

Contrary to the suggestion by the RMT, it is not that we refused to apply for UK (or French) government financial support; rather we were unable to secure furlough funding for our seafarers. Furthermore, we made applications to the States of Guernsey and Government of Jersey but such furlough schemes were not available for our crews. Condor therefore put in place its own support arrangement for employees affected.

We are still navigating through very challenging times with almost no high speed passenger sailings to Guernsey since March and the corresponding refund payments being made over the same period, all of which are having a profound financial impact.

Drastic steps have already been taken to safeguard the company’s future and this includes a re-sizing of the business. Of the colleagues who were sadly made redundant, only a quarter were seafarers, with the remainder taken from shore roles in our five ports and at administration offices. The welfare and employment of our UK seafarers along with all other nationalities of employees are of great importance to Condor and the CI ferry lifeline services we provide.

A consequence of these changes is that we will be forced to run a more limited schedule for at least the remainder of this year and possibly into 2021.

We fully recognise our responsibilities for supporting the visitor economy, travel for Channel Islanders and for bringing in essential freight.

Whilst none of us can use a crystal ball to predict the future, we hope that normality can, at some point, return.

Paul Luxon

CEO Condor Ferries