Scottish Government to work with UK ministers in bid to help Mossmorran workers

The Scottish Government will work with UK ministers and local council chiefs in an effort to find alternative futures for workers at the Mossmorran chemical plant.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes confirmed the Scottish Government would take part in talks on Monday alongside Fife Council leaders and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander.

The move came after Mr Alexander made a direct plea to the Scottish Deputy First Minister to get involved as he insisted the workforce at the site “deserve unity rather than political squabbles between governments”.

His comments came after Ms Forbes, last week, said it was “crucial” for Labour ministers at Westminster to “consider what more they can do for the workers at the plant and take urgent action”.

The spat between the governments comes in the wake of bosses at ExxonMobil announcing last week that their Fife ethylene manufacturing plant is to close in February, impacting more than 400 workers and contractors.

Speaking on Monday, Ms Forbes said: “The Scottish Government’s priority is to secure a future for the workers at Mossmorran.

“Our approach has been to work at pace to protect the workforce and consider any actions that we could take to mitigate the impact of this decision on the local economy.”

She added that “any reports of conflict between the UK Government and the Scottish Government on the process to achieve that does a disservice to the workers”.

Ms Forbes insisted it was the UK Government that has not only the “levers for an industrial intervention” – as happened with the Scunthorpe steel plant – but also the ability to take “urgent action to address the high cost of energy”.

High supply costs had been cited by bosses at ExxonMobil as one of the reasons why the company felt there was no longer a “competitive future for the site”.

Promising to act, Ms Forbes said that “the Scottish Government will participate in the UK Government’s suggested process”.

Representatives will take part in Monday’s meeting, organised by Mr Alexander and Fife Council, the Deputy First Minister added.

In addition, she will personally visit Mossmorran on Tuesday to meet with both workers and trade union leaders.

Stressing it was an “incredibly difficult time for the Mossmorran workers and their families”, Mr Alexander spoke about the “over-riding obligation to look out for the workforce”.

With local employers also at Monday’s meeting, he said he would be “urging them to consider the highly skilled workforce at Mossmorran” when recruiting new staff.

But Mr Alexander, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme, said: “We need to get our act together in terms of the work the Scottish Government, the UK Government and Fife Council is doing.

“Those two governments and Fife Council should be working together to support the workforce.

“So, I would reiterate my plea today that Kate Forbes accept the invitation of Fife Council, join us today, sit down in Fife and let’s get the arrangements sorted out so we can focus on the task at hand, which is not playing politics or squabbling between governments, but focusing on the needs of the workforce.

“That starts today, meeting local employers and pressing the case for local workers.”

Mr Alexander appealed directly to the Scottish Deputy First Minister, adding: “Please Kate, come along to Fife House and let’s get this sorted out like grown-ups.”

His comments came as he made plain there had not been any “serious commercial offer” for the Mossmorran site which could keep it open.

Speaking about the plant, Mr Alexander said: “It was due to have a lifespan of about 20 years, it has now operated for 40 years.

“It has been losing £1 million a month and it has been making losses for five years.”