Rosyth Redundancies Stress ‘Urgent Need’ For RFA Contract Award To UK Shipyards

Rosyth Redundancies Stress ‘Urgent Need’ For RFA Contract Award To UK Shipyards

Responding to this morning’s (Thursday 7 February) announcement confirming the loss of 150 jobs at Babock Marine in Rosyth, GMB Scotland Organiser and Chair of CSEU Scotland Gary Cook said:

“These redundancies stress the urgent need for the UK Government to ensure the three Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels are built in British shipyards, including Rosyth.

The wind down of the aircraft carrier contract creates a vacuum at Rosyth with no significant manufacturing orders on the horizon. Let’s be clear what this means: Peak production at Rosyth sustains over 3,800 jobs and generates over £100 million in wages - that’s what’s on the line.

Maintenance programmes for warships will sustain some levels of employment in future but it’s a feast and famine existence for yards like Rosyth, which needs large-scale shipbuilding to realise its full potential.

Against the backdrop of Brexit uncertainty, we need our politicians to stand-up for working class shipbuilding communities like Rosyth and they can do this by demanding the UK government award the RFA contracts to British shipyards”

Ends

Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser Gary Cook on Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications on 07976 447077.