MPs representing Glasgow’s two shipyards will meet with the man leading the UK’s future shipbuilding strategy.
Sit John Parker has agreed to meet this week with Chris Stephens, SNP MP for Glasgow south West and Carol Monaghan, SNP MP for Glasgow North West.
The MPs will put forward the city’s case for remaining at the heart of the country’s shipbuilding industry.
READ MORE: Unions hopeful over shipyard jobs, but pressure still on government
The unions at both Scotstoun and Govan BAE yards have been in talks with their owners following the news that the type 36 Frigates contract intended to provide work for the next decades has been cut by five ships and the start of work delayed until the end of next year.
BAE are looking at ways to maintain the workforce until then by redeployment and moving work in from other places.
The strategy will be crucial to the future of both yards where thousands of workers are still employed.
READ MORE: Shipyard job fears may spark industrial action on the Clyde
Sir John Parker was appointed by the UK Government to chair the National Shipbuilding Strategy this year.
He will make recommendations on all aspects of warship building and the future integration of the industry and the contribution of suppliers.
Mr Stephens said he and Ms Monaghan were waiting for a date and time to meet Mr Parker to raise their concerns and those of the workforce.
The meeting comes as Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, put pressure on Tory leader Ruth Davidson to challenge the UK government on its promises to the yard workers.
READ MORE: Davidson challenge to look Clyde shipyard workers in the eye.
Ms Dugdale has written to her Conservative counterpart over the delays to the agreed timetable for building the Type 26 Frigates.
Ms Dugdale said: "The workforce were not given a throwaway line of potential future work - they were given a commitment and importantly a timetable to ensure the jobs and skills would remain in the numbers needed to continue to build the best naval ships in the world.
“The concerns which have resulted from the ongoing delays of the Type 26 programme have only been added to by the lack of clarity surrounding the UK Government’s intentions for its National Shipbuilding Strategy.
" I am absolutely clear that this Strategy must not be used to weaken the commitment that complex naval ships be designed, manufactured, integrated, commissioned and delivered from Glasgow."
She asked Ms Davidson to make the same commitment and to make it clear to the Prime Minister.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here