Last updated 19:50, Thursday, 14 August 2008

MARYPORT’S Cumbrian Seafoods is denying claims that it intends to close its town factory, despite rumours circulating that it will.

Employees have told the Times & Star that there have been 18 job losses in the past two weeks and rumours that up to 25 redundancies could be announced today.

The workers say many are on restricted hours, working only five to six hours a day, and that the number of lines of production have been reduced.

They claim that more and more equipment is being sent to the North East, to Cumbrian Seafoods’ new Seaham factory.

The Times & Star has been unable to get a direct comment from the company but factory management told the West Cumbria Development Agency on Wednesday that it had held a meeting with the employees’ council to which the following statement was made.

It said: “We are aware of the rumours flying around that a decision has been made to close the site. This is not correct.”

It was also stated that the company has just created 20 new jobs at the Grants factory on the Glasson Industrial Estate.

The statement did not mention job losses alleged by workers and former workers, or mention reduced working hours.

In April last year the company announced that up to 105 jobs would be axed at the main Cumbrian Seafood factory on the Solway estate and the nearby Glendawn factory.

The announcement was made at the same time as Cumbrian Seafoods was named one of the fastest growing businesses in the UK.

The firm came 25th in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 list, which said it had registered a 73 per cent growth in three years.

The businesses posted a £6.3 million profit in 2006, up from £1.2m in 2003.

The redundancies came when the company announced it was to be moving its main operations to a new site at Seaham in the North East.

But at the time owner Peter Vassallo said the company was trying to gain extra business for its West Cumbrian sites and was to introduce ready-to-cook meals.

Rumours of more job losses have been circulating in Maryport for about two months.

But last month a spokeswoman for the company told the Times & Star that there would be an announcement of a new line next month, leading to the creation of new jobs.

Because the company was unavailable for further comment last night, it is not known whether the new jobs are the 20 that have been created at Grants or what the new line is.