Union says Scot Gov have betrayed Ferguson workforce

GMB Scotland has called job losses at Ferguson Marine a betrayal of a blameless workforce, blaming ministers for failing to deliver new contracts while sending shipbuilding work overseas, after the Port Glasgow yard opened a voluntary redundancy programme expected to see up to 70 employees leave.

Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland secretary, said the jobs are at risk while the Scottish Government refuses to sign off contracts promised before the Holyrood election in May.

She said: “Shipbuilders needs ships to build so where are those promised to Ferguson Marine? If they ever come, who will build them? Fergusons was once Scotland’s ferry factory with a worldwide reputation for excellence and should be again.

“Instead, skilled and experienced shipbuilders are being encouraged to leave as those in charge send contracts everywhere but here. The lack of support, ambition and industrial strategy is abject.”

Ms Gilmour, who noted that a third of CalMac’s current fleet was built at the yard, tied the losses to a long-standing failure to open a pipeline of work after Glen Rosa and Glen Sannox.

She said: “Its reputation has been battered for ten years because of two calamitous contracts decided and driven by those in charge of our ferry network. Their hubris and incompetence have failed a blameless workforce that deserves the chance to turn the page.”

GMB is the largest union at the publicly owned yard, and describes the losses as draining skills and experience from the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde.

Ferguson Marine announced the programme on Tuesday, saying the workload is naturally reducing as Glen Rosa moves into final outfitting and commissioning ahead of delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026. Formal consultation has begun.

Graeme Thomson, chief executive of Ferguson Marine, said: “Our immediate focus remains the safe, high-quality handover of Glen Rosa in Q4 2026. However, as the vessel nears completion, we face an inevitable gap in workload while we work with the Scottish Government to make the relevant preparations to enable us to proceed with contract negotiations.

“Shipbuilding capability relies on continuity and while changes of this nature are difficult, taking proactive action now ensures we protect the long-term viability of the yard and remain lean, modern, and ready to cut steel on the new fleet as quickly as possible.”

He said: “We take our responsibility to our workforce and community incredibly seriously. By offering a voluntary redundancy path, we want to support team members who have given so much to shipbuilding on the Clyde as they consider their next steps. At the same time, we are doing everything in our power to ensure the yard is structured to offer secure, long-term careers once the new build programme gets underway.”

Stephen Flynn, the SNP Economy Secretary, defended the decision. He said: “The action that the leadership team at Ferguson Marine is taking today is necessary to help secure a viable future for the yard, and that of commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde. This is alongside their efforts to upskill workers, bid for new contracts and opportunities with partners.

“I am assured that a reduced workforce will not impact the build of the MV Glen Rosa, which is on track to be delivered in quarter four 2026. Our intention to directly award four vessels continues to undergo full due diligence further to next steps which will be announced to Parliament in due course.”

Ferguson Marine currently employs 238 staff, including 34 apprentices, meaning the departure of up to 70 people would account for close to a third of the workforce.

Opposition parties have directed their criticism at the Scottish Government.

Martin McCluskey, the Scottish Labour MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West, called the situation economic vandalism of the highest order. He said: “These redundancies will be deeply concerning for workers, their families and the wider Inverclyde community. Ferguson Marine is an important part of our industrial heritage and a hugely significant part of the economic future of this sector. The UK cannot afford to lose any shipbuilding capacity.

“The Scottish Government promised work for the yard when they wanted people’s votes at the election and we are still waiting. Trade unions and workers have been calling for ferry contracts for years. It should never have come to this point, with skilled workers facing redundancy while the Scottish Government continues to deliberate over orders it has already said it wants to place with the yard. It is economic vandalism of the highest order.”

He said he had spoken to local trade union representatives and would be speaking to BAE Systems about the work at Govan and the pipeline there, adding: “My hope is that anyone who is no longer employed at Ferguson Marine can find work elsewhere on the Clyde. More than 1,500 jobs have now been lost in Inverclyde in just a few years. Calls for direct support have been made repeatedly to the Scottish Government but have been ignored.

“This is a local jobs crisis. The Scottish Government needs to step up, move faster and do everything within its power to secure the future of Ferguson Marine and the skilled jobs that depend on it.”

Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour’s economy spokesperson, said: “This news will be causing significant anxiety for the workers at Ferguson Marine and the wider community. The skilled workers at this yard have been continually let down by the chaos of the SNP government.

“The SNP must listen to this wake-up call and ensure the pipeline of work promised moves forward with the urgency needed so we can protect these crucial jobs. We need a real long term plan to support Scotland’s iconic shipbuilding industry and secure jobs at this site for generations to come.”

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson, said: “These workers have been let down by the SNP over and over again. The yard needs a pipeline of work to flourish but that has not been forthcoming.

“Meanwhile, there can be little doubt that the chaos around its ownership and management have made it a less appealing prospect for those wanting to build commercial ships. All of this can be traced back to the SNP yet despite so many transport ministers coming and going no one has ever taken responsibility. It has been a case study in how not to do a government intervention.”

The contracts at the centre of the dispute were announced in March 2026, when the Scottish Government said it intended to make a strategic direct award to Ferguson Marine covering four vessels: two ferries for Caledonian Maritime Assets under the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, along with a marine protection vessel and a marine research vessel. Due diligence on that award is still under way.

Ferguson Marine says the changes are designed to address the size of the business and align skills across the yard so it is ready to begin work as soon as the contracts are settled, and that the consultation will not affect the remaining work or the delivery schedule for Glen Rosa. A phased transition plan is in place across active projects.

Glen Rosa is the second of two dual-fuel ferries ordered for the Clyde and Hebrides network in 2015, a contract that ran years late and far over budget, and which led to the yard being taken into public ownership in December 2019 after Ferguson Marine Engineering went into administration. Her sister ship Glen Sannox was handed over in early 2025.

The yard also carries out fabrication work for BAE Systems on the Type 26 frigate programme, producing structural units that are shipped up the river to Govan for assembly, and is partway through a transformation project intended to modernise the site.

Ferguson Marine has operated at Port Glasgow since 1903.