The takeover of Harland & Wolff by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia could lead to hundreds more jobs at its Scottish sites, Ian Murray has said.
The Scottish Secretary described the deal as a “Christmas present” for workers at the facilities in Methil, Fife, and Arnish on the Isle of Lewis.
Navantia is purchasing all four Harland & Wolff sites around the UK after the parent company of the yards fell into administration.
Some 1,000 jobs are believed to have been secured by the deal, around 350 of which are at the Scottish sites.
In return, the UK Government has said it will pay Navantia more for a contract to build three new fleet solid support (FSS) ships for the Royal Navy’s civilian branch.
The Methil and Arnish yards are not involved in the FSS contract, but managers there hope the deal will allow them to take on a secure stream of orders to fabricate structures for the offshore industry.
Mr Murray toured the Methil yard on Thursday, speaking to workers and site manager Matt Smith.
The minister told the PA news agency: “The overall mood is one of ‘this is the best Christmas present the workforce here could have had’.”
He said the Scotland Office is keen to secure the yard’s future and discussions are now focused on how it will be able to cope with demand “rather than a sad story around whether it will be open or closed”.
The Scottish sites have “massive” potential to create offshore jackets, he said – referring to the structures in which wind turbines sit.
Mr Murray said: “Speaking to the workforce here and the management here, they’re perfectly confident there’s a bright future for this yard. Navantia have seen that potential as well, that’s why the four yards have come together.
“There’s potential to grow that workforce too, to up to six or seven hundred at this yard. It’s a great thing for Methil, for Fife, and for Scotland.”
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “The operations at Arnish and Methil are of significant economic importance to Scotland and I welcome confirmation that both are included in the sale of Harland & Wolff, after what will have been a difficult time for the workers, their families and the local areas.
“While the sale was a commercial decision for Harland & Wolff, it follows combined efforts from the Scottish and UK governments, trades unions, management and staff to ensure the best interests of Arnish and Methil were clearly represented.
“I look forward to building a relationship with Navantia as it develops its business strategy to ensure a sustainable future for the Scottish yards and the highly skilled workforce.”
