Ferguson Marine Opens Voluntary Redundancies as Workload Falls

Overview

• Ferguson Marine has begun formal consultation on a voluntary redundancy scheme that could see up to 70 of its roughly 238 employees leave as the ferry Glen Rosa moves into final outfitting and the yard faces an expected gap in work.
• The Scottish Government said in March it intended to directly award four vessels to the yard but that decision remains under full due diligence and has not been signed off, leaving the company’s order book effectively empty.
• Unions and opposition politicians say ministers have failed to deliver promised contracts and sent work overseas, while GMB Scotland warned the cuts will drain skills from the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde.
• Local SNP representatives have instead criticised Ferguson Marine’s management for not securing alternative work, a problem made worse by the reported conclusion of a BAE Systems Type 26 fabrication subcontract.
• If redundancies go ahead, the loss of experienced workers and apprentices could weaken commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde and test the yard’s ability to scale up quickly if the government finalises contracts; the next developments to watch are the due diligence outcome and any contract sign-off.