Blow for Dingwall as salmon factory to close by the end of the year
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A ROSS-shire town left reeling by the impending loss of more than 260 jobs in the run-up to Christmas is gearing up to fight back against the devastating blow.
Confirmation that the Edinburgh Salmon Company is to close its fish processing plant in Dingwall by the end of the year was branded "a huge blow", with 163 staff and up to 100 agency workers left looking for work.
Local Citizens Advice Bureau staff have already been working with those affected by the closure announced by plant owners Européenne de la Mer, a subsidiary of the Thai Union Group, in a bid to find out how they can help.
Meanwhile Dingwall is next Friday (December 7) set to try and mitigate the blow by staging a jobs fair which has been rapidly put together by MP Ian Blackford and MSP Kate Forbes, politicians who have constituency offices in the town.
Dingwall and Seaforth ward councillor Graham Mackenzie said the news was still sinking in.
He said: "This is devastating news. It's going to have a big impact. People now realise it’s not just the employees that are going to be affected, it’s all their friends and families as well as many local businesses.
"And it's not just Dingwall where this will be felt. I have been told that people are coming from all over and from as far away as Ullapool to work there."
This was echoed by fellow ward councillor Angela MacLean. She said: "This is extremely sad news for all the staff who have been loyal employees of the Edinburgh Salmon Company for many years. The business has had a long association with Dingwall and this closure will have a knock-on effect on many of the local businesses in the area.
"There is never a good time to be made redundant but in the run up to Christmas this is a double blow for many local families.”
MSP John Finne said: "This is bitterly disappointing news from the Edinburgh Salmon Company, and will come as a blow to all those workers on site. I have sought assurances that the Scottish Government will continue to make every possible effort to assist the workforce of Edinburgh Salmon Company in light of this closure."
There are fears that some families of Eastern European origin who have contributed to the local economy for upwards of a decade are now considering cutting their losses and leaving the area.
"I know because of this loads of people will go back to Poland," said a Polish national who has friends working there. "It's going to be a difficult time for those people. Some of them have worked there for 10 years."
Another member of the Polish community, who also did not want to be named, said: "My partner used to work there. I feel sorry for my friends and their families. I know how people are feeling, but nobody will speak about it. There are loads of people working there and people are scared."
In a statement, Européenne de la Mer, which has cited challenging market conditions and is understood to have registered losses in excess of £5million, said it regretted "no feasible alternative solution to closure was found during collective consultation" and the factory will close at the end of the year. It will meet its obligations until the turn of the year when the factory will close.
It said: "We would like to thank all employees for their commitment to the company to date and their professionalism during this difficult time."
Next Friday's jobs fair in Dingwall will run from 1pm to 6pm at the Town hall. MP Ian Blackford said: "Dingwall and the surrounding areas have many opportunities waiting to be explored; let us all work together to make these readily available to the people who live and work here."
