Ferguson Marine to cut almost 25% of staff while awaiting new ship contracts
Scotland's state-owned Ferguson Marine will eliminate about 70 jobs through voluntary redundancy as it finishes the delayed MV Glen Rosa and waits for promised orders.
Ferguson Marine, Scotland’s last commercial shipyard on the Clyde, announced a voluntary redundancy programme that could remove 70 of its 283 employees, including apprentices, as construction wraps up on the MV Glen Rosa ferry. The yard recently delivered the first dual-fuel CalMac ferry, MV Glen Sannox, in November 2024, with the second due by the end of the year. While the Scottish government has pledged to award four new contracts - two small ferries, a fisheries research ship and a marine protection vessel - ministers say the necessary due-diligence is still in progress.
CEO Graeme Thomson emphasised that the workforce reduction is a proactive step to preserve the yard’s long-term viability and maintain readiness for upcoming projects. Economy, Tourism and Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn assured that the redundancies will not affect the Glen Rosa delivery and reiterated the commitment to the pending contracts. The shipyard hopes the anticipated modernisation funding of £14.2 million will soon be deployed to upgrade equipment and boost productivity.
Why it matters
The layoffs signal uncertainty for Scotland's shipbuilding sector and affect hundreds of jobs while the yard awaits future contracts.
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