The deputy First Minister has vowed to leave “no stone unturned” in securing a future for the state-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard.
Speaking ahead of a summit on Thursday about the future of the shipbuilder, Kate Forbes said progress towards securing a sustainable future for the business “continues to be made”, while acknowledging that workers had not had a “smooth journey”.
It comes as a union warned ‘time is running’ out for workers at the yard as its order book empties after the much-delayed launch of two ferries built for Caledonian MacBrayne.
GMB union representatives said work on Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa was tapering off and the Port Glasgow yard was now in desperate need of new orders.
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They said the workforce was not to blame for design and past management mistakes that led to huge cost overruns and delays in building the CalMac ships.
Ms Forbes said that taking the business into public ownership had saved more than 300 jobs and ensured two new ferries would be delivered.
The Deputy First Minister said: “I want to thank the GMB union for organising this summit and bringing the key players with an interest in a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine to the table.
“I very much hope that the conversations which take place will help to shape future discussions on a sustainable future for the yard.
“I’m pleased to see that progress continues to be made but I do, of course, recognise that this has not been a smooth journey for the workforce.”
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She added: “Our decision to take Fergusons into public ownership saved the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde from closure, rescued more than 300 jobs and ensured that the two ferries – vital for our island communities – will be delivered.
“I am committed to leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pursuing a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine, its workforce and for wider shipbuilding on the Clyde.”
The summit, which is organised by the GMB union, will be attended by union officials, members of the Scottish Parliament, councillors and company executives, alongside the deputy First Minister.
The shipyard is hoping to be given the contract to build seven small all-electric ferries for CalMac, similar to vessels it has built on-time and on-budget in the past.
Ferguson Marine believes an order to build seven smaller, all-electric CalMac vessels could help give it a future.
With the yard still working to improve productivity, unions are calling for the contract to be directly awarded rather than put out to competitive tender.
GMB shop stewards John McMunagle and Alex Logan argue the extra costs of building the ferries in Scotland are more than offset by economic benefits in the local community, which has lost 1,200 jobs in the past 18 months.
"Coming on the back of the things that's happened in Inverclyde - EE jobs going, Amazon jobs going, the polythene factory jobs going - we can't afford to lose this," Mr McMunagle told the BBC.
"If we lost this [shipyard], this area is finished. I think it is time to start sounding alarm bells. Time is running out."
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