Cabling firm workforce lose jobs

Fifteen workers at a Jersey cable-laying company have been told they have lost their jobs.

All the staff at Vanni (CI) Ltd are being made redundant because the company has lost its contract with the Jersey Electricity Company (JEC).

In a statement, Vanni's directors said they were unaware until last week they would no longer be JEC sub-contractors.

JEC commercial director Richard Plaster said Vanni lost a tendering process to the company Geomarine.

Long association

Mr Plaster said the directors of Vanni had been aware of the situation for some time.

Vanni said it had worked almost exclusively for the JEC for 20 years laying, installing and maintaining electricity cables.

Work on its current contract to reinforce the network in the west of the island finished last week, but Vanni said it had unexpectedly received notification from the JEC that no further work would be allocated to the company.

Vanni has written to the JEC asking it to reconsider. The JEC said it regretted ending its long association with Vanni.