Up to 90 jobs at risk at firm after bus company plans move to England
Up to 90 jobs are at risk at a manufacturing firm in Dunfermline as a knock-on effect of bus company Alexander Dennis planning to pull out of Scotland.
Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd were put on notice of potential job losses with around half of staff working on constructing parts for Alexander Dennis buses.
One of the company's three buildings is dedicated to the work on the buses, with sites in Dunfermline and Lochgelly and Chatham in England.
It comes after Alexander Dennis confirmed up to 400 jobs are at risk as it announced plans to close its site in Falkirk.
The global independent bus manufacturers, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., confirmed that the consultation process had begun earlier this month.
The bus manufacturer, which has eight sites across the UK including Falkirk and Larbert, announced that up to 400 jobs Scottish jobs could be axed.
The firm is consolidating its UK bus body manufacturing operations into a single site in Scarborough, England.
The Falkirk site is to be shut down, and production lines at Larbert will be suspended upon the completion of current contracts.
Alexander Dennis said the move will 'lower overall costs, deliver clearer responsibilities and increase efficiency'.
On Thursday, the company told MSPs the closure is 'not a done deal', but orders for up to 100 buses and changes to regulation are needed before the end of the year.
'It's absolutely not a done deal, it is a consultation process,' said president and managing director Paul Davies.
'We're very grateful for the active engagement we've had from both governments, from other political parties and stakeholders – we're absolutely committed to keeping those conversations going, along with this committee too.
'But there are, for us, other implications around the long-term, the runway, is the market dynamic going to change?
'Our assumptions are, if they don't change, we have to take action to look after the company.'
But Mr Davies told the committee the firm would need to see consistent orders made to help stabilise the future of the business in Scotland.
Asked how many orders the firm would need this year, he said it would be around 70 to 100 buses by the end of the year and 300 to 400 for next year.
But even if the orders come, there will be a lag before work can begin on manufacturing to allow for design and the acquisition of materials.
There have been calls for a furlough scheme to be put in place, with the Government being urged to step in and pay workers until building can begin.
Trade union bosses estimated that such a scheme would cost up to £5m a committee meeting on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes pledged to 'leave no stone unturned' to secure a future for the workers at risk of losing their jobs.
Graeme Downie, Labour MP for Dunfermline and Dollar has written to First Minister John Swinney about the threat of job losses at Greenfold.
He said: 'The management and staff at Greenfold Systems are doing their best in an incredibly difficult situation but the fact these 90 jobs in Dunfermline are at risk just shows the ripple effects of the SNP's economic incompetence and their failure to support Alexander Dennis and bus building in Scotland.'
Greenfold Systems Ltd and the Scottish Government have been contacted for comment.
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22 minutes ago
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Scottish Sun
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