Campaigners call for end to ‘secrecy’ as yard goes bust
The Action for Arnish campaign has demanded an immediate statement from the Scottish Government on the future of the Lewis yard following news that BiFab, the yard's current tenants, has gone into administration.
The news follows the Scottish Government’s decision to withdraw financial guarantees supporting the manufacturing of eight offshore wind turbine jackets for the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) project.
It comes despite the company, which has sites in Fife and Lewis, having been already bailed out to the tune of £52million from the Scottish Government.
In a statement, campaign chairman Iain MacLeod urged an end to what he said was ‘secrecy and evasions’.
He added: ‘We have deceived repeatedly the prospects of bringing work to the and there must be no performance.
‘We believe that when DF Barnes took over BiFab, they did so with genuinely good intentions on the basis of assurances given to them by the Scottish Government. These were never fulfilled and so, time and again, BiFab missed out on work while Arnish lay idle. There is now no possible excuse for secrecy around the BiFab, HIE and Scottish Government deal. We know there are others interested in using Arnish and there must be no delay in clearing the way for new tenants to emerge.
‘Having been responsible for the current situation, the Scottish Government and HIE owe it to the island to support whatever investment been over BiFab island repeat
The yard at Arnish.
is necessary to make the yard operational once again. The Lewis economy is at an exceptionally low ebb and this is the one available option for creating a substantial number of well-paid jobs which will retain population on the island.’
The group has now written to the Business Secretary in the Scottish Government and the chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise seeking meetings and to stress the need for full transparency in all dealings connected to the Arnish yard. And in a joint statement, the GMB Scotland and Unite Scotland trade unions claimed BiFab going into administration exposed what they said was the ‘myth’ of Scotland’s renewables revolution.
Joint trade union secretaries Gary Smith and Pat Rafferty said: ‘BiFab’s administration exposes the myth of Scotland’s renewables revolution as well as a decade of political hypocrisy and failure in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
‘The workers and communities dependent on these yards have fought so hard for a future and everyone was hoping 2021 would finally be the turning point. Shamefully the Scottish Government has buried these hopes just in time for Christmas and they have worked together with UK Government in doing so.
‘A decade on from the promise of a ‘Saudi Arabia of renewables’ and 28,000 full-time jobs in offshore wind manufacturing, we’ve been left with industrial ruins in Fife and Lewis.’
The joint trade unions say they will comment further in the coming days.
Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan raised the issues at Arnish and BiFab in a speech to the Scottish Parliament last week. It is frustrating to see BiFab again fall into administration,’ said Mr Allan. ‘The promise of inward investment and contracts when BiFab was taken over has been followed by a lack of corporate investment. It is ultimately the responsibility of JV Driver, as the majority shareholder, to provide that investment. There is no legal route for the Scottish Government or the UK Government to provide further financial support to BiFab in the absence of a shareholder guarantee and investment from the majority shareholder. The focus now has to be on securing a future for the yard. I will be pressing the Scottish Government, as I did yesterday in Parliament, to ensure all options are kept open so that Arnish can be the integral part of our green recovery that it deserves to be.’