Condor freezes workers’ pay due to ‘pandemic impact’

Thursday 26 March 2020

Condor has told its workers it will not be considering pay rises this year due to the “huge impact this pandemic is having on our business”.

In an email sent to all staff across the business yesterday, the ferry operator’s Executive Management Board said it would honour minimum wage increases as a legal requirement, but that the annual salary review due next month has been cancelled.

Describing the move as a “very difficult decision”, the board explained: “At Condor we are a team and I must be transparent and share the reality of the huge impact this pandemic is having on our business, as it is many other businesses in our sector. 

“This calls for tough measures to be introduced to counteract this. As a proactive management team we are doing everything we can to preserve as much of our business as we can and to minimise the impact on us all.”

Pictured: The pay review was due to take place next month.

They acknowledged that the news “will not be helpful… in any shape or form”, but added: “…We must be clear that taking this action will go some way towards reducing the impact and protecting jobs for as many people as we can within our business.

“To make it through this crisis we must work together and share the load.”

A spokesperson for the ferry provider declined to comment, telling Express: “…We do not make public comments on employment issues in relation to Condor staff.”

It comes after Condor, which was recently sold to a consortium including Brittany Ferries, cut its passenger routes to bolster the Channel Islands’ supply chain throughout the covid-19 pandemic. 

READ: Condor’s full letter to staff…

Sent on behalf of the Executive Management Board 
 
Dear All, 
 
Firstly, thank you all for your efforts over recent weeks. We are pulling together as a business in so many ways right now and it is times like these which make us realise what is really important to us as people.
 
At Condor we are a team and I must be transparent and share the reality of the huge impact this pandemic is having on our business, as it is many other businesses in our sector. This calls for tough measures to be introduced to counteract this. As a proactive management team we are doing everything we can to preserve as much of our business as we can and to minimise the impact on us all. 
 
Therefore, we have taken the very difficult decision to withdraw the annual salary review set for April 2020. Any increases to match minimum wage in each jurisdiction will of course be honoured as a legal requirement.
 
We are well aware that this will not be helpful news in any shape or form but we must be clear that taking this action will go some way towards reducing the impact and protecting jobs for as many people as we can within our business. To make it through this crisis we must work together and share the load.
 
Thank you again for everything you are doing, I know this situation will be testing for us all in many ways. If you have any questions please direct them to my EMB colleagues or the People & Culture team.
 
Kindest regards