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Ferguson shipyard to cut a quarter of its workforce
The state-owned yard says the cuts will protect competitiveness while it waits for 4 promised new vessel contracts, officials said.
On Tuesday, state-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine announced a voluntary redundancy scheme expecting to cut up to 70 posts as construction of the MV Glen Rosa nears completion in Q4 2026.
CEO Graeme Thomson cited an "inevitable gap in workload" while the yard awaits finalization of contracts for four new vessels; Scottish Government due diligence on the direct award is currently underway.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn defended the scheme as necessary to "modernise the shipyard," while GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour called it "a betrayal of a blameless workforce."
Employees accepting voluntary redundancy will receive £10,000 above statutory entitlements, and the firm confirmed the consultation will have "no impact" on the remaining Glen Rosa delivery schedule.
The shipyard has built more than 360 vessels since 1903 but currently holds no confirmed future orders, with the winning bidder for the new four-vessel contract to be announced early next year.