A renewable energy firm in Argyll and Bute has announced it will cut up to
three-quarters of its workforce, despite recording pre-tax profits of £7.1
million last year.
CS Wind, based near Campbeltown, said up to 73 jobs could be lost among its
94 employees.
It is the only UK facility manufacturing onshore and offshore wind towers,
with the factory bought over by the South Korea-based firm in 2016.
Charlie Macdonald, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “The news of
the redundancy notices affecting three-quarters of the workforce at CS Wind
in Campbeltown is a major blow to Scotland’s renewables manufacturing
capacity.
“CS Wind is another example of the spaghetti bowl of multi-national
interests calling the shots in our nation’s renewables sector with scant
regard for workers and communities.
“There needs to be urgent intervention by the Scottish Government because
if the scale of these job losses goes unchallenged, not only is there a
major cloud over the future of the factory in Campbeltown but also over
Scotland’s green manufacturing capacity.”
Accounts lodged by the company in April show directors saw the future
outlook for the next financial year as “positive”.
It posted pre-tax profits in 2018 of £7.1 million – up from a loss of
£191,000 in 2017.
The business has made a £27 million investment in the facility since taking
over, while also having deals with Danish firm Orsted and Swedish company
Vattenfall.
It has blamed the move on challenging market conditions for onshore towers
and difficulties with supply chain companies in the offshore sector.
The next potential order for the offshore build schedule is in 2020, it said.
A CS Wind spokeswoman said: “CS Wind UK is actively working with Unite the
union, Argyll and Bute Council, Highland and Islands Enterprise, Scottish
Engineering and the Westminster and Scottish governments on finding
effective solutions and to support the workforce and wider local community
impacted by this announcement.”
Scotland’s energy minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “This will be a very
difficult time for those workers served redundancy notices at the CS Wind
tower facility in Machrihanish.
“I have spoken with CS Wind UK management and committed to do all we can to
support the company in their attempts to secure future work for the site.
“We have also been working with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Argyll
and Bute Council to support infrastructure investment locally in an effort
to enhance infrastructure of the site.”
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