Inquiry demanded over Babcock plan
Unite fight to stop 50 jobs being lost at Army depot
Union Unite want an independent inquiry into the plan by Babcock International to close their depot at Forthside.
Between 50 and 60 jobs will be lost if the company gets its way and work repairing Army vehicles and weaponry is transferred south of the border.
Unite predict a similar number of jobs are threatened among companies providing services to the base.
The Forthside Defence Support Group facility is the Army’s last remaining depot in Scotland for the repair and maintenance of its land-based vehicles.
It had been due to close by 2022, with the work transferred to Leuchars Barracks, but Babcock International now want to axe the Stirling operation by May.
Their spokesman said: “Babcock is currently reviewing the viability of three of its DSG service delivery locations under its service provision and transformation contract.
“As part of a comprehensive review of the business, this includes the potential closure of sites at Stirling, Bicester and Longmoor with the possibility of a number of redundancies early next year.
“We will be engaging in consultation with all those potentially affected, including our employees, union colleagues and customer.s”
Regional officer for Unite in Scotland Pat McIlvogue said the plans will leave the Army in Scotland with a ‘man in a van’ repair service organised from a base in northern England.
He added: “This is too important to be decided by the slash of an anonymous accountant’s pen.
“Unite want an independent inquiry into Babcock’s potential breach of contract and a risk assessment of what the plans mean for the delivery of army services. Army Headquarters Land must be involved in delivering that now.”
Stirling MP Stephen Kerr spoke to Babcock International chief executive Archie Bethel on Monday regarding the move and is to hold talks with Ministers and Ministry of Defence officials.
“I had a full and frank conversation with Mr Bethel and made it clear that my view remains unchanged.
“This is a premature decision and one that needs to be reconsidered,” said Mr Kerr.
“Whatever the final decision there is no need to shut the facility next year given the timescales for redeveloping the site.
“A full servicing facility should be based in Scotland and I can see no reason why that should not be in the Stirling area.”
Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford described the proposal as a “logistical and strategical disaster for Armed Forces in Scotland”.
He was against the proposal to switch the work to Leuchars when it was first outlined in the Government Strategic Defence Services Review in 2015.
“This signals the intention to bring forward the closure of Babcock services in Stirling, with 56 high-skilled local jobs on the line that are very important to the local economy,” he added.
“The proposal, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, to move services to North Yorkshire would ultimately place Armed Forces services in Scotland at a strategical disadvantage.”
He is to raise his concerns over the matter with Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon.
The Stirling depot was part of the Defence Support Group, an armslength company of the Ministry of Defence with facilities across the country.
It was sold off to Babcock in 2015 amid fears from Unite that the repair and maintenance services provided to the military would be undermined.
Stirling Council has for many years eyed the Forthside MoD site for development and it forms part of the authority’s Regional City Deal proposals.