Tories urged to scrap overseas tenders
BY ALAN JONES reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk ABOUT 150 jobs are to be cut from one of Scotland’s last remaining shipbuilders amid fears UK defence contracts will go to foreign yards.
Unite branded the move a “kick in the teeth” to the workforce in Rosyth, Fife, as the Tory Government plans to tender a £1.3billion contract abroad.
The union blamed the redundancies by Babcock on the Government’s “obsession to award such work overseas”.
Assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: “The men and women whose skills built the UK’s two new world-leading aircraft carriers at Rosyth are at risk of being lost for a generation in a blow to the Scottish economy and UK shipbuilding.
“The fear is these job losses could turn into a flood and the industry is left with a yawning skills gap unless the UK Government starts supporting UK Plc by delivering on a shipbuilding strategy that guarantees the Royal Navy’s new auxiliary ships are block built in UK shipyards.
“It would be a gross betrayal of a skilled workforce and British manufacturing if the Government continued with its obsession to award such work to overseas shipyards.”
Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird branded the news as “devastating for Babcock workers and their families”.
She added: “With HMS Prince of Wales nearing completion, the trade unions and I have called on the Government to immediately scrap plans to tender the £1.3billion Fleet Solid Support contract abroad.
“This Government is hell-bent on pursuing bargain-basement contracts abroad – no matter the cost to us. Other countries protect their shipbuilding industry and so should we.”
But a Babcock spokesman said: “Last year, we began reshaping our business in order to remain competitive and take on new challenges.
“Today’s workforce announcement is a continuation. We anticipate the loss of 150 roles which are no longer needed in line with the rundown of the programme.”
The MoD said: “Although this is a commercial decision for Babcock, we continue to invest in British shipbuilding.”