Dockers' dire warning over Yarmouth port

Published: 10:19 AM September 28, 2009 Updated: 8:26 PM October 10, 2020

A dire warning has been given into the future of Great Yarmouth Port by the final six dockers who left yesterday after being made redundant by port owner Eastport UK.

The staff, with 125 years experience between them, choked back tears as they raised the prospect of unskilled casual employees being brought in to do jobs previously done by trained professionals.

Steven Drew, the dockers' shop steward, said Eastport UK had been training up casual labourers even as the dockers were preparing to leave.

Mr Drew, who has 25 years experience at the port, feared Eastport wanted to employ agency workers on similar terms to casual contracts the dockers had been offered before being made redundant.

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These stated the dockers would be working a minimum of four hours a week for little more than the minimum wage and would have to bring their own boots.

“I am choked, I am quite gutted that it has come to this,” Mr Drew said.

Redundancies by Eastport had already reduced the original 20 strong dockers team down to the last six who included Mr Drew and his colleagues Mark Franklin, 48, Tony Bristo, 49, Richard Gardner, 45, Jimmy Durrant, 58 and David Beale, 50.

Nobody from Eastport was available for comment.