LOCAL politicians are calling on the Scottish Government to act immediately to support hundreds of workers who face the prospect of redundancy at Rolls-Royce.

The company, who employ 1,300 workers at its Inchinnan facility - including residents from Clydebank and Dumbarton - announced yesterday that almost 700 employees are likely to be made redundant.

The news comes following more than 14,000 people signing a petition to save the jobs.

Dumbarton’s MSP, Jackie Baillie, along with West Scotland MSP, Neil Bibby, are calling on the Scottish Government to establish a cross-party task force with the aim of saving the jobs.

Ms Baillie, who is also deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said: “I am deeply disappointed to learn that Rolls-Royce has announced such a large number of possible redundancies. This news will come as a devastating blow to the 700 workers, their families, and the wider local economy.

“The Scottish Government must do everything in their power to support these employees – and so many others in a similar position.

“A cross party task force to look at the aviation industry and their supply chain, in particular Rolls-Royce would be a good starting point but swift intervention to save as many jobs as possible is essential.

“We are only just starting to understand the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis and long-term support will be required for the months and years to come.”

Meanwhile, Neil Bibby MSP said: “I know workers were braced for bad news but the this is worse than many feared. Job losses on this scale will do lasting damage to the west of Scotland economy and must be averted.

"When the crisis is over and civil aviation recovers, there will be a future for this industry.

"This a highly-skilled, loyal workforce with unparalleled experience. They contribute a huge amount to our economy, and they cannot be abandoned. That's why I am calling for emergency assistance and a cross-party Task Force to save these jobs."

At a recent First Minister’s Questions session, the MSP asked if the Scottish Government will work with trade unions to put pressure on Rolls-Royce to reverse their decision, and if the Scottish Government is prepared to make significant financial support available to the sector.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon responded by saying: “The Scottish Government will continue to do everything we possibly can to get a more positive outcome to this. These jobs are important, the Rolls-Royce facility is important and, of course, advance manufacturing is very important in terms of the Scottish economy now and in the future.

“In response, quickly, to the various parts of his questions: yes, we will work, as we always do in these situations very closely with trade unions. I will ask the Economy Secretary to look at pulling together a cross-party approach so that we can all work together to try to protect and safeguard these jobs. On the issue of financial intervention, as has been the case previously, we will consider all options.”

A Rolls-Royce spokesperson said: “We have briefed the Scottish Government and other local stakeholders on the business impact of Covid-19 on Rolls-Royce and are keeping them up to date as our consultation process progresses.

“This number of proposed job losses is a terrible prospect for the people and communities that are impacted, and we understand how devastating the news must be for everyone at the Inchinnan facility.”