A Southend computer services company has warned staff of impending redundancies, in spite of signs that its fortunes are improving.

Rebus Insurance Services has told staff that "economic pressures" mean that 35 people across its UK operation will lose their jobs in coming weeks, up to 15 of them at the company's Baxter Avenue site.

The proposals are now being discussed with staff while the company tries to identify alternative jobs for the those targeted for the axe.

The proposed cuts would bring to 100 the number of employees from the 600-strong workforce that have been made redundant since October, around 35 of them from the 250-strong presence in Southend.

The company has laid the blame for the cuts on the bursting of the dot com bubble.

Business development director Richard Clark said: "We are now at a staffing level commensurate with the new business we see coming in.

"In fact we have now started to turn the corner and are fairly optimistic that we soon start seeing an increase in new business over the next year."

Published Monday, March 11, 2002