shipbuilding - last scottish yard under threat
WORKERS, SEPT 2005 ISSUE
The existence of the last shipbuilder in Scotland — Ferguson in Port Glasgow — is at risk now that the Scottish Executive has awarded orders to a Polish company, Remontowa in Gdansk. Under investigation for illegal subsidies, the Gdansk yard was privatised in 2000 and uses cheap labour from Russia — which costs even less than native Polish labour.
Breaking ranks, MSP Trish Godman criticised her colleagues, saying, "The Scottish Executive have cut these men and women adrift in their over-cautious and spineless approach to the EU and its rules."
These rules meant opening up tendering for (the cheapest) bids from Europe despite the possible classification of fishery protection vessels as being needed for the protection of national interests — which would have made them exempt as naval ships.
The other lost order was for a ferry for Caledonian MacBrayne, itself subject to privatisation.
Despite losing half its workforce in the past year, Ferguson is determined to survive — in the meantime upgrading ships for the Northern Lighthouse Board.