Contract changes could see 40 Flotta jobs go
(From The Orcadian dated June 28, 2001)

Flotta's oil terminal is due to be hit by another cutback in the workforce with staff claiming 40 jobs to go in October.

However, joint Flotta terminal manager Mr Tom McMillan said this week that operators, Talisman, were not making anyone redundant, because they did not directly employ the Motherwell Bridge contractors concerned.

"They are not our employees - we do not make them redundant," he said.

He did admit though that the operators planned to revert to a system used at Flotta up until a few years ago, of only employing fabric maintenance workers from April to October, instead of all-year round.

"The seasonal work programme comes to an end in October. At that time the workload will reduce. If Motherwell Bridge do not have work for them then that is a matter for Motherwell Bridge," he said.

He continued: "This is the way it used to work - take the guys on for the summer months doing the painting work outside, etc. The last couple of years it has slipped into year-round type."

It means that staff who carry out painting and minor repairs to equipment, such as welding, will effectively only be employed at Flotta for six months of the year.

The contract maintenance workers were called to a meeting at the terminal on Wednesday of last week.

According to one employee they were told that 40-50 MB employees within contract maintenance would be losing their jobs from October 15.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: "Talisman are saying they want to put it out to contract next year for six months, to do the work in six months rather than one year. They say they are committed to using local labour."

The employee claimed that they were told if they did not go back next year, the jobs would go to workers from south.

"Morale is at an all-time low. They say this place is going to run for another 20 years but if you want an old car to run for 20 years you must look after it to maintain a safe working environment."

He also claimed that Flotta bosses had offered staff a "sweetener" to get the work complete by October.

"If we get the work done there will be a bonus in it for you, we were told at the meeting. Everybody is finished. Once the maintenance is finished for the year, everybody is being made redundant."

The worker warned that staff could not survive working only six months of the year and would not do it.

"You will get inexperienced boys doing the work - they will lose a lot of experienced men. The boys are very downtrodden."

He said that Talisman had announced record cash flow and earnings in the first quarter of 2001 - the eighth consecutive quarter that their cash flow has increased. "Record profits and record job losses," the worker said.

Since the Talisman takeover there has been a switch in the terminal directly employing people to employing specialist contractors to provide the services, Mr McMillan said. "We feel they are better at providing the services."

Motherwell Bridge are also contracted to provide the core maintenance of the terminal - ongoing maintenance of the equipment all year round, which will remain static, Mr McMillan added.

He said there was a perception among many of the workers that they were employed full-time by Talisman.