New jobs to ease the cuts at Seafood plant

Peter Vassallo, who launched Cumbrian Seafoods in June 1997, told the newspaper that the scale of job cuts at its Solway Road plant had not yet been finalised and consultation is still ongoing. Workers were told last Friday that 70 jobs could go after a 30-day notice period. In April last year the company began a 90-day consultation into a possible 105 job losses at the site.

But Mr Vassallo stressed he is still committed to west Cumbria and confirmed to the News & Star that he had created 40 new jobs in the county to soften the blow.

The new posts will see 20 existing staff transferred to the Grant’s business, in Maryport, and 20 more to Cumbrian Seafoods in Whitehaven, the newspaper wrote.

The shake-up was prompted by a decision taken last year to switch coated fish and shellfish operations to a new factory in Seaham, County Durham.

The move came because of a lack of space and a shortage of available labour in Cumbria,. News & Star wrote.