Marathon Clyde jobs

Workers Press no. 868, 14 September 1972 · scan page 2

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FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT A THOUSAND men at the former Upper Clyde Shipbuilders yard at Clydebank face redundancy at the end of the year unless Marathon Manufacturing, the new owners, win a contract for conversion of an oil rig.

This was disclosed by union officials yesterday after a twohour meeting with management representatives from the four on these economic issues. upper Clyde yards.

Joe Black, Clyde district chairman of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, said: It is a temporary problem, probably for about six months, ligures with the Tories. and we feel alternative provision should be made for these people.' He explained that most of the labour force of 1,900 at Clydebank were employed for the time being by the UCS liquidator on completion of ships.

Marathon planned to build up its labour force to about 900 by the end of the year, leaving 1,000 facing the possibility of redun- unions. dancy by Christmas or the end of January. The Texas-based com- today's talks. pany hoped, however, to obtain an order for conversion and modernization of an oil-rig.

Black said: 'Failing that order we will have a very real problem over about 1,000 men.' James Airlie, chairman of the UCS shop stewards' co-ordinating committee, said that his committee would be meeting today to decide policy.

Meanwhile James Fox, chief executive at the Clydebank yard, said that Marathon would be ordering steel this week for its first contract-a jack-up oll-rig, manual workers. probably to be used in the North.

TURN PAGE Sea.