SHIPYARD workers have warned they are prepared to take industrial action to protect jobs on the Clyde.

The UK defence minister failed to give a start date for the Type 26 frigates and fears grew that jobs could be lost.

The minister, Philip Dunne, told MPs eight frigates would be built in a multi-year project but could not say when.

Work was due to start next month, then delayed and now indications are it will be the end of next year at the earliest.

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Union leaders warned they would use “everything in their armoury” to protect jobs and work to complete the prestigious aircraft carriers at Rosyth could be targeted.

Mr Dunne was challenged by Glasgow SNP MPs, Chris Stephens and Carol Monaghan, whose constituencies include Govan and Scotstoun shipyards, to give a date and explain the delay.

Glasgow Times:

Mr Dunne said: “There is no shipyard in Europe which has an order for eight warships.”

He said the workers on the Clyde should “take considerable heart they are working in our yards rather than elsewhere” and he said there needed to be “patience”.

Duncan McPhee, Unite Convenor at Scotstoun said workers were angry the yards had gone through redundancies in the restructuring to get ready for the Type 26 ships which should have followed the carriers.

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He said: “We think we have kept our side of the bargain. The UK government made it clear Glasgow was to be the centre of shipbuilding. There will be no acceptance of any chipping away at that.”

He said nothing was being ruled in or out and the political negotiations had to be concluded.

However, he added: “You can have industrial action of various kinds. We are involved in the carriers in Rosyth.

“We hope sanity prevails but the Trade union position is clear. We will not be accepting a reduction in the workforce for the MoD’s timetable.”

Ian Waddell, Unite national officer, said: “Our stewards are clear in their determination to make sure the UK government keeps its promise and will use everything in their armoury to defend the UK’s historic ability to design and build its own warships.

“Our stewards today have signalled that they will not stand by and allow shipbuilding on the Clyde to be hollowed out and the UK stripped of its ability to make its own warships.”

Glasgow Times:

Mr Stephens said: “We got no reassurance from the minister. We have no date for cutting steel. There is no commitment of the general purpose frigates being built on the Clyde and the National Shipbuilding Review is being viewed with scepticism on the Clyde.”

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited Govan Shipyard to speak to workers and said it would be a “betrayal” if the promised were not kept.

She said: "These yards have been through some really difficult times with a reduction in the workforce and they thought that that was all part of the process of getting themselves into shape for the Type 26 and securing a level of employment here.

“It would be a complete betrayal of these yards if there was any u-turn or going back on promises made.”