FIVE railway workers were made redundant with immediate effect by the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure in May.
 
The job losses affected one joiner, two blacksmiths and two painters.
 
The then Minister for the department, David Cretney MHK, said: "The department regrets having to make anyone redundant.
 
"Attempts were made to save four of these posts by making changes to working agreements and it is disappointing that these proposed changes were not accepted by the workforce representatives.
 
"However by reducing the costs of operating the railways we hope to provide greater security for the remaining employees."
 
The department said it had hoped that staff numbers would be reduced over three years through "natural wastage".

However this timing was brought forward when it was asked to achieve savings in its budget of over £800,000 from April this year.
 
Mr Cretney continued: "Initially 32 railway workers were advised that a reduction of 22 posts were being considered so I am pleased that the final number of compulsory redundancies is much lower.
 
"Other posts identified as technically redundant have been reduced through a combination of voluntary redundancy and redeployment."
 
Update: In June the railway workers who had been made redundant had their appeals dismissed by an independent panel. For more on this story click here.

This story is part of isleofman.com's Review of the Year 2011.