Arabic version: فيرغسون مارين تخطط لإلغاء 70 وظيفة طوعياً
According to BBC News, Ferguson Marine has invited workers to apply for voluntary redundancy as Scotland’s state-owned shipyard waits for confirmation of promised future orders. The Port Glasgow firm expects to shed 70 posts, nearly a quarter of its workforce, as construction nears completion on the second of two delayed CalMac ferries.
The yard employs 247 core staff, 31 agency staff and 32 apprentices. BBC Scotland understands workers who choose to leave will receive £1,000 for each completed year of service, capped at £10,000, in addition to statutory entitlements. Ferguson Marine said the process was intended to protect the long-term viability of the business.
Chief executive Graeme Thomson said the immediate priority was handing over MV Glen Rosa before the end of the year. He said the yard faced an “inevitable gap in workload” while it worked with the Scottish government on preparations for contract negotiations. MV Glen Rosa has moved to Inchgreen for final fitting out and commissioning, leaving the main Port Glasgow yard without a ship under construction for the first time in 12 years.
The Scottish government announced before the Holyrood election that it intended to directly award Ferguson Marine contracts for four vessels: two small CalMac ferries, a fisheries research ship and a marine protection vessel. However, the contracts have not been confirmed and ministers say due diligence is continuing. Even with an imminent award, at least a year of design work would be needed before steel could be cut.
Economy, Tourism and Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn said the redundancy scheme was necessary to help secure a viable future for the yard and said he had been assured it would not affect completion of MV Glen Rosa. GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour called the move “a betrayal of a blameless workforce”, arguing that shipbuilders needed ships to build. Ferguson Marine’s apprentice programme is unaffected in the short term, with 34 young workers in training and 10 new trainees due to begin college.
