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Seafood job losses set for debate Seafood firm plan 'false economy'
(about 8 hours later)
The loss of 89 jobs at a south west Scotland seafood plant is to be debated in the Scottish Parliament. Scotland's enterprise minister has said he hopes to persuade a seafood company that relocating jobs from the south of Scotland was "a false economy".
Young's seafood in Annan announced the cuts in a move branded a "betrayal" by Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray. Jim Mather's comments came as MSPs discussed the loss of 89 jobs at Young's seafood, in Annan.
The move was branded a "betrayal" by Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray.
The company moved some operations from the plant after a major fire in March and said it did not make economic sense to bring them back to Scotland.The company moved some operations from the plant after a major fire in March and said it did not make economic sense to bring them back to Scotland.
Last year the company moved its scampi peeling services to Thailand which also prompted debate at Holyrood. Last year the company moved its scampi peeling services to Thailand, cutting more than 100 jobs and now wants to make a further 89 workers redundant, leaving about 25 staff on site.
Ms Murray said she realised little could be done to save jobs in Annan. 'Premium rates'
However, the Dumfries MSP hopes that as much as possible can be done to help the workers affected who she said had been "badly let down". Ms Murray said she realised little could be done to save jobs in Annan, telling parliament: "Last year, Young's seafood employed around 250 people at their site in Dumfries and Galloway, by Christmas this year, there may be only a tenth of that number.
Funding question "This is the story of the betrayal of a loyal workforce, under a community which has sustained the company in Annan since the 1940s."
"Although there is little that the Scottish Government can do to have this decision reversed, I will use this debate to press ministers on how they can help the workforce and the town in the aftermath of this announcement," she said. Mr Mather said Young's was a major UK player, with some 30% of its turnover in Scotland, where it was also currently buying £70m of seafood.
"I also understand that funding was supplied through Scottish Enterprise for the development of new plant, which, when commercialised, was supposed to offer opportunities for expansion in Annan. "I'm certainly very keen to debate with the company about the fact that more and more discerning consumers, I think, are willing to pay a premium for a product that was turned round more quickly and made available here in Scotland," he said.
"This now seems to have disappeared below the horizon, and any light that ministers can shed on this would be welcome." The minister said he wanted to "perhaps even persuade Young's in the coming future that this decision they've made, like many others that have moved to call centres in India, is actually a false economy".
The company was criticised last year when it moved scampi peeling operations from Scotland to Thailand cutting more than 100 jobs. The company, he added, had been giving support to staff to find new jobs in the area.
It now wants to make a further 89 workers redundant leaving about 25 staff on site.