Support offered to Rabey's staff

Wednesday 05 April 2023

Within hours of the announcement that Rabey's Garage Ltd has gone bust, job opportunities were being highlighted to the 27 staff who have been made redundant.

Some of the staff are still working for Rabey's today - helping to wind up the business - while most were told to go home yesterday with some saying they don't expect to get paid for any of the work they've done since their March payday.

Express understands that some of Rabeys staff were refused access to their former workplace this morning to collect their own tools and other equipment. 

Linda Johnson, Partner at KPMG in Guernsey and joint liquidator, said staff will be helped to lodge their own claims against their former employer where appropriate.

“Rabeys was a significant participant in the local fleet operation and infrastructure and has been an important part of island life in Guernsey and Jersey for many years. Our immediate priority will be to assist the employees and creditors to submit their claims in the liquidation.” 

Pictured: Rabeys were looking for staff just days before the liquidators were called in.

While Rabey's parent company had called in liquidators just last week, the collapse of the commercial vehicle firm still came as a surprise to many as it was still advertising for staff in key strategic roles. A Parts Manager and other technical roles are still being advertised on its website.  

Founded in 1976, and growing into one of the largest vehicle fleet sales and maintenance businesses across the Channel Islands, it had fairly recently moved to new premises in Guernsey within the Vale Castle Industrial Estate. That plot is believed to be owned by the Garenne Group which entered administration last week.

Announcing the closure of the firm yesterday, the liquidators said that Rabey's "performance had improved in recent years" but "the impact of recent economic headwinds including major supply chain issues, rising energy and parts prices, coupled with rising interest rates, meant its financial position had declined irretrievably in recent months".

Pictured: Rabeys was recruiting staff up to the very end.

The Board had recently discussed options with potential investors and alternative sources of funding but the liquidators said "the only option available in the circumstances was to take steps to cease trading".

While the Guernsey business closed with immediate effect yesterday, the directors are still discussing potential investment into the Jersey arm of the business which remains operational today after the closure of the Guernsey business yesterday.

Among the first to offer hope of new opportunities to the redundant Guernsey based staff was Island Coachways.

The firm said it has a number of vacancies which may match the skill set of the Rabey's workforce, including in vehicle maintenance and operations.

Island Coachways has a subsidiary company called IC Commercials and it also operates private vehicle hire services. 

Pictured: Other firms are recruiting for staff with the same skill set as some of the redundant Rabeys employees.

Open days organised by States Works are being held this Thursday and next Thursday with vacancies for trained engineers as well as apprentices. Among the roles available to trained applicants are Vehicle Technicians, Diagnostic Technicians and Master Technicians.

The States of Guernsey is also advertising for Mechanical and Electrical Technicians in other areas too.

All job vacancies within the States along with many within the private sector are advertised on gov.gg

Pictured: The States are among those advertising for staff across the engineering sectors which may be of interest to Rabeys former staff.