TRADE union leaders have accused Scottish ministers to trying to "deflect" criticism over their handling of the BiFab yards.
Fiona Hyslop appeared in the Scottish Parliament today to tell MSPs the SNP administration cannot give any more financial help to stricken BiFab without breaking the law.
It has come under criticism for its handling of the yards, which had to be rescued by the Scottish Government in 2017. The company acquired by Canadian-based JV Driver in April 2018 but the Scottish Government remains a minority shareholder.
However, Hyslop says it put £37.4m in through a combination of equity and loan facilities abut has no role in the day-to-day decisions of the firm. And, in a ministerial statement on the matter, she said state aid rules mean the SNP government is unable to make any further bail-out.
The statement comes after the company missed out on work as part of the manufacturing process for new offshore wind farms.
Hylsop said there remains a "strong pipeline of work opportunities" at the start of this year, with the potential to win contracts for both EDF's Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) project and the Seagreen wind farm being developed by SSE Renewables, but added: "It is not that the Scottish Government does not want to continue to support BiFab – it currently cannot."
BiFab had been due to build eight wind turbine jackets for the NnG wind farm but reports have claimed this work cannot go ahead after the Scottish Government withdrew its offer of a £30m financial guarantee backing the contract bid.
Hyslop told Holyrood delays to the NnG contract and SSE's decision to award work on the Seagreen wind farm to companies in China and the Middle East have been "compounded by JV Driver's continued lack of investment in the business".
But afterwards BiFab joint trade union secretaries Gary Smith and Pat Rafferty said: "Today’s statement amounts to little more than an attempt to deflect from the Scottish Government’s role in BiFab’s predicament, rather than providing accountability and a way forward for the workers’ and communities dependent on these yards.
"The legal advice given to the minister concerning the withdrawal of guarantees for the NnG contract can and should be released, it is a matter of public interest because any credible hopes of kick-starting the much touted 'green jobs recovery' depend on it."
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