Embattled seafood giant Young’s has said new seafood roles created in Dumfries have not come at expense jobs in the north-east.
Hundreds of employees at the firm’s Watermill Road plant in Fraserburgh will have their jobs axed in the coming months.
Despite the restructuring of their north-east operation, Young’s Seafoods is now advertising for 24 new production line workers to be based in Dumfries and Galloway.
An advert posted online by recruitment agency Stafforce calls for “production operatives to work in the heart of Annan town” and describes it as “an exciting opportunity to gain long term employment”.
But the firm has denied expanding its Annan factor at the expense of workers in Fraserburgh.
Last night a spokeswoman said: “Young’s Seafood Ltd recently recruited six full time and six part time staff in Annan, and are still recruiting for around another six full-time and six part-time roles in Annan.
“This is the result of an increase in production volume. This increase in production volume at Annan is not related to the changes taking place in Fraserburgh.”
However, she added the vacancies in Annan are open to those “impacted by the changes taking place in Fraserburgh”, if they choose to relocate.
It is understood that, in total, more than 600 jobs will be cut from Young’s operations in Fraserburgh. The bulk of those axed will be temporary agency staff although some full-time employees will be made redundant.
The restructuring came after the Grimsby-based firm revealed it had lost a major salmon processing contract with supermarket giant Sainsbury’s – a contract believed to have been the most lucrative of its kind in the UK.
It was initially feared that Young’s would close its Watermill Road factory altogether however after prolonged negotiations with union officials and Scottish Government officials, the board made a commitment to keep the plant open.
Last week north-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald claimed the taskforce had left staff “out in the cold” after he paid a visit to the factory.
The group will meet again early next year.