By Bruce Robbins

ALLEGATIONS THAT staff at the closure-earmarked Wood Group factory in Dundee are being held back from starting new jobs because the company will not accept voluntary redundancies or give workers a leaving date will be tackled tomorrow by Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie.

Workers last week claimed that they are living in “limbo” with the energy services company holding on to them “like prisoners.”

Several were said to have been forced to turn down offers of jobs or training because they could not say when they might be in a position to leave Wood Group.

Mr Hosie had arranged a meeting at the factory tomorrow to ensure that the company was sticking to commitments regarding redeployment and retraining of the 150 employees.

He told The Courier yesterday that he will also be raising the question of leaving dates and redundancy payments.

“It’s tragic to hear about the same difficulties after every major redundancy situation,” he said.

“Staff who are likely to be made redundant do receive offers either for retraining or new employment but they are worried that if they leave early they will lose out on their redundancy payments.

“I would call on all employers, when it’s likely there will be a factory closure, to do the right thing and pay the redundancy the employees would have got if they had stayed to the end of their notice period.

“It’s right and proper that long-serving and loyal staff should be treated in the correct way. It’s wrong that anyone is held back from taking on new positions in this way.”

The Aberdeen-based company announced the closure of its Dundee Gas Turbine Services operation last month, leaving up to 150 employees facing redundancy.

A statutory 90-day consultation period is under way and it is understood that negotiations are continuing that could lead to some staff being kept to work on a new contract.

Talks are believed to be at an advanced stage with an undisclosed third party that would see around 20 industrial engines, which would normally have gone to the Dundee plant, being refurbished using around a sixth of the former Wood Group’s local employees.

The company was asked yesterday if any decision had been reached yet but a spokeswoman said there was no change in the situation and the talks were continuing.

Mr Hosie said he also hoped to talk to the Wood Group about the possible new contract which he said offered a “glimmer of hope” for some employees.