Poole-based Sunseeker International announces 200 job at risk partly due to US tariffs
ITV News Meridian's Richard Slee has been speaking to the company's CEO.
A luxury yacht maker has announced 200 jobs are at risk at its base in Poole, Dorset.
Sunseeker International is a major employer, with around 2,000 workers in the town. The change would mean a loss of around 10% of its staff.The company has said the decision had not been taken lightly but it needs to restructure in order to cut costs and become sustainable for the future.
The company says the jobs at risk now will come from middle management and support.
Andrea Fabretti, CEO of Sunseeker International said: "We have tariff for United States export which is very important.
"We’re exporting more than 50% of our production to the United States, so this has been affected recently.
"We want to maintain as much as possible people committed to work, for Sunseeker to be prepared, when the political situation will calm down and the market will restart, we will have enough power to restart strongly and restructured."
A few months ago around 100 workers were temporarily laid off on full pay due to a shortage of work.
The company says the jobs at risk now will come from middle management and support.
The company says it is doing all it can to minimise job losses and that there are no plans to move the business outside of Poole.
Labour MP, Neil Duncan-Jordan said: "These are my constituents, these are people with families, houses, bills to pay, they need support.
"I have written to the government to see what support they can offer, to the company going forward particularly in relation to the American tarriffs and I’m hoping something will come back that’s positive."
The consultation process for the jobs at risk will last 45 days.
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