The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Yes’vote risk to 800 Fife jobs: Babcock
AROUND 800 jobs in the ship-building industry in Fife could be put at risk by independence, according to a company with a major presence in Rosyth port.
In a briefing to trades unions on the positive and negative implications of a Yes vote, Babcock said it was far less likely the site would benefit from becoming the preferred location for aircraft carrier ref its if Scotland left the UK.
A summary of the papers, prepared by Rosyth Trade Union, floated the possibility of the United Kingdom Government moving the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier contract out of Scotland “at the earliest opportunity” in the event of independence.
The note added: “If Scotland remains part of the UK there is a strong possibility that Rosyth would become the preferred location for aircraft carrier refits under the existing allocation approach.” It identifies the number of jobs at risk as “800+” of the shipyard’s 2,000 workers.
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said “the very existence of Rosyth as a naval shipbuilding yard… would be in very serious doubt” because of independence.
A spokesman for transport and veterans’ minister, Keith Brown, said: “Scottish companies will be able to bid for MoD contracts that are put out to competitive tender so UK military orders could, and should, still come to Scotland.”
THE YES campaign was dealt a double manufacturing blow yesterday as Scotland’s engineering industry body backed a No vote and a major employer at Rosyth Port said hundreds of Fife jobs could be lost with independence.
Scottish Engineering said it did not believe independence “would be in the interests of business”, while Babcock said it was far less likely Fife would benefit from becoming the preferred location for aircraft carrier refits if Scotland left the UK.
In a briefing to trades unions on the positive and negative implications of a Yes vote, the possibility was floated that the UK Government may move the Queen Elizabeth Class A ircraft Carrier contract to a site such as Portsmouth “at the earliest opportunity” in the event of independence.
A summary of the briefing, prepared by Rosyth Trade Union, claimed:
It “is unlikely Rosyth would be eligible to receive allocated Royal Navy complex warship refits” in the event of independence.
There is no clarity on whether independence would impact on the completion of the Queen Elizabeth Class A ircraft Carrier contract. The possibility of the two carriers moving to a facility such as Portsmouth “at the earliest opportunity” was also floated.
There is a strong possibility Rosyth would become the preferred location for A ircraft carrier refits if Scotland remains in the UK.
The summary adds: “It is unclear whether this volume of work would be smaller, similar or bigger than the work we would expect to lose from the Royal Navy.”
Trade union officials said, because the division of workers between commercial and UK MoD work is around 60/40, the news put around 800 of Rosyth’s 2,000 employees at risk.
A Babcock spokesman said: “A sa company with a major footprint in Scotland, the possible changes to Scotland’s financial and regulatory environments following a vote for independence create, in our view, additional risk and uncertainty for our business.
“That is why, as part of a long tradition of such engagement, Babcock has begun to discuss these risks and uncertainties with our local workforces and their representatives in response to their requests for more information.”
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont claimed “the very existence of Rosyth as a naval shipbuilding yard…would be in very serious doubt” because of independence.
A spokesman for veterans’ minister, Keith Brown, said: “Scottish companies will be able to bid for MoD contracts that are put out to competitive tender so UK military orders could, and should, still come to Scotland.”
Meanwhile, following a year-long process where Scotland’s four main parties addressed Scottish Engineering’s executive committee, a survey of its member companies has concluded the industry body will reject independence.
Scottish Engineering chief executive Bryan Buchan said: “The majority of those responding indicated that, in their opinion, independence would not be in the interests of the manufacturing engineering industry in Scotland.”