Food - jobs go to Thailand
WORKERS, DEC 2006 ISSUE
In a crazy act of globalisation, hundreds of tonnes of fresh langoustines are to be sent annually on a 12,000-mile round trip from Scotland to Thailand for hand-shelling by cheap labour, resulting in the loss of 120 processing workers' jobs in Annan, in Dumfries and Galloway.
Pledging to campaign against the move by Young's Seafood, Transport and General Workers' Union regional industrial organiser John Holroyd described the losses as "absolutely devastating" for the town of just 8,000 people, quite apart from the environmental impact.
It also represents abandonment of mechanisation – hand shelling disappeared in the British industry decades ago. Twenty-five shipments will be made annually, each return journey taking six weeks at sea.
The factory in Annan has been the largest "breaded scampi" facility in Britain, employing about 250 workers. The Thailand operator is its sister company Findus. This follows the loss of 70 jobs in September when Dawnfresh of Glasgow announced the transfer of shellfish processing to China.