Vágur fish-processing plant closing for the winter

Forty staff members at the Bakkafrost factory in Vágur, Suðuroy, were told on Friday that there will be no work at the plant until the spring or summer.

Regin Jacobsen, CEO of Bakkafrost, says that although the company is stepping up its salmon-farming activities in Hvalba and Hov in Suðuroy, there is currently not enough activity to ensure year-round production at the Vágur factory.

This has led to criticism from Føroya Arbeiðarafelag (the Faroese Employees Union), with chairman Georg F. Hansen urging Bakkafrost to show more responsibility for its staff by guaranteeing year-round employment.

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Hansen says he is not aware of other companies in the fish farming industry laying off staff in periods of low activity.

Replying to this criticism, the Bakkafrost CEO says that it is not at all unusual to see seasonal employment variation in the Faroese fishery industry, and that his company is doing everything it can to ensure year-round employment in Suðuroy.

“We value our staff very highly, and we believe it is better for everyone involved to secure the long-term sustainability of our operations than to keep a factory running during periods with no activity,” he says.

Work at the Vágur factory will resume as soon as possible, probably toward the end of spring, and all staff members will then be called back to work, according to Jacobsen.

Translated by prosa.fo