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Union ‘fury’ as more than 70 jobs to go at Scottish wind firm
Credit: By David McPhee | 31/10/2019 | www.energyvoice.com ~~
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Translate: FROM English | TO English
More than 70 staff are to be made redundant at a Scottish wind firm, according to workers union Unite.
Campbeltown-headquartered firm CS Wind will let go three quarters of its workforce, which the firm has blamed on “gaps” in its order book.
It is understood 73 jobs are to go at the company, which has a total workforce of 94.
Unite union has reacted furiously to the news and heavily criticised the Scottish and UK Governments for the “minimal” manufacturing work awarded to Scottish renewable energy suppliers.
CS Wind has a factory based in Campbeltown, Argyll and is the UK’s first offshore wind turbine tower manufacturing facility.
Local Argyll and Bute MSP Michael Russell described the news as “devastating” for the area.
The firm made a £27 million investment in the site in 2016 and reported pre-tax profits in excess of £7m in 2018.
CS Wind confirmed it has entered in a consultation between staff and Unite union.
A spokeswoman for CS Wind said: “The onshore market for towers remains extremely challenging to the supply chain due to the very low market price and low volume of projects being built.
“The offshore market in the UK still has opportunities for tower manufacture following the recent sector deal and CFD round 3 announcements, but there are significant challenges for manufacturers and supply chain companies on cost with a recent further 30% reduction in the support price and strong competition from overseas.”
The firm recently completed orders for the Moray East Offshore Wind Farm in the Outer Moray Firth and ScottishPower Renewables East Anglia One Wind Farm.
The company said it has “been unable to secure any work” from the Kincardine Floating Wind Farm off the coast of Aberdeen and the Triton Knoll project.
It said there was now a “significant gap” in its offshore build schedule before the next potential order is due for production in 2020.
Charlie Macdonald, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “The news of the redundancy notices affecting three quarters of the workforce at CS Wind in Campbeltown is a major blow to Scotland’s renewables manufacturing capacity.
“CS Wind is another example of the spaghetti bowl of multi-national interests calling the shots in our nation’s renewables sector with scant regard for workers and communities.”
“There needs to be urgent intervention by the Scottish Government because if the scale of these job losses goes unchallenged not only is there is a major cloud over the future of the factory in Campbeltown but also over Scotland’s green manufacturing capacity.”
Scotland’s energy minister Paul Wheelhouse added: “This will be a very difficult time for those workers served redundancy notices at the CS Wind tower facility in Machrihanish.
“I have spoken with CS Wind UK management and committed to do all we can to support the company in their attempts to secure future work for the site.”
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