Employee’s heartbreak as laundry faces closure
Engineer says Fishers has been like family to him
An employee facing possible redundancy from Fishers laundry in Perth has voiced his sadness at how coronavirus has crippled the hospitality arm of the commercial laundry.
Fishers announced this week that it plans to close its site in the Inveralmond Industrial Estate and has initiated a 30day consultation with the 84 staff at the plant, who have been informed that they are at risk of redundancy.
The Perth laundry is currently mothballed following the introduction of the coronavirus lockdown.
The company began in Aberfeldy over 100 years ago and has built up several commercial laundry plants across Scotland.
Some of these sites, like Cupar in Fife, deal with NHS and care home laundry and have fared better in the crisis than Perth where hotel laundry is cleaned.
Assistant engineer Gavin Fowler (62) has worked for
Fishers for 25 years. Gavin described the closing of the company’s Perth base as “heartbreaking”.
Gavin, who is currently on furlough, said: “I’ve only had two jobs in my life, at Don & Low when they had Tay Textiles and at Fishers.
“It was very sad to hear this week that the company has to close the Perth site. For me, frankly it is heartbreaking, I’ve been working here since 1995.
“Unfortunately Perth was dependent on work for the hospitality industry.
“We were a good plant. Recently there was considerable investment, an ironing system. We just spent four weeks installing this new ironer. It is not going to be used now.
“This news of closure is grim. I don’t blame the company. There are many, many casualties from this virus.
“Everybody’s sad about this decision. The honest truth is it’s down to us doing hospitality laundry here in Perth. While that has been closed, we have lost a lot of money. I can see where the owners are coming from. Working for Fishers has felt like being part of a family.
“They helped me through tough times. My managers were very good to me when I lost my wife Jackie.
“Some people will be redeployed I believe, I’m pretty sure they will offer alternative employment.
“Personally, I don’t fancy travelling to other sites. I don’t want to have to work outside Perth so I would take redundancy if it is offered.
“There’s nothing to say when all this is over, and the hotels and that are back up, Fishers Perth could re-open. Right now coronavirus is killing it.”
A spokesperson for Fishers said: “Fishers is particularly focused on the hospitality sector, which has been significantly affected by the coronavirus lockdown, with the impact likely to be felt for many months.
“As well as Coronavirus impact, Fishers has also been unsuccessful in retaining its largest contract with Whitbread (Premier Inn and Hub hotels).
“Consequently, Fishers has very regrettably decided that we must close our Perth laundry, and service our customer base from our other plants, in order to protect our business and the remaining jobs in the company during the uncertain times ahead.
“We very much regret having to take this action and we recognise the effect this will have on our Perth team, many of whom have worked for Fishers for a number of years.
“However, we believe we have no choice, given the level of uncertainty we face.”
Pete Wishart, MP for North
Perthshire said: “This is hugely disappointing news and I am concerned about the 84 staff who will be facing a very uncertain future at this troubling time.
“Most of these employees will be based in my constituency and it is imperative that support is in place to help them to secure new jobs, should the plant be closed completely.
“I will be working closely with colleagues across the region to ensure that as much support as possible can be found for these employees going forward.”