A senior Angus politician is hoping the Scottish Government can convene talks with US oil services giant Halliburton after a round of lay-offs in Arbroath.
Angus South MSP Graeme Dey said he had attempted to contact the company some weeks ago to discuss potential redundancies at its Arbroath facility, but his approach had failed to draw a response.
It was reported on Friday that 20 jobs are being lost from the factory’s workforce. Halliburton has been downsizing its global operations in response to the lower oil price crisis.
Mr Dey said he had now contacted the Scottish Government to see if it will have greater success in opening a dialogue with the firm.
He said: “I’ve therefore been in contact with Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, to see whether the Scottish Government might be able to open up dialogue with Halliburton on this matter, secure ready access for the local PACE team to assist those impacted by the decision and seek to ascertain what if anything needs to be done to help ensure the future of the surviving jobs at the Arbroath plant.”
Halliburton is a leading provider of products and services to the oil and gas industry and employs tens of thousands of staff in more than 80 countries worldwide.
The factory on the Elliot Industrial Estate in Arbroath employs more than 200 people.
The Courier’s query was referred to the company’s global headquarters in Houston, Texas.
A company spokesperson confirmed that jobs were going at the plant.
“Halliburton has announced reductions to its manufacturing employee workforce in Arbroath due to the continued decline in market conditions,” the spokesperson said.
“Making this decision was not easy, nor was it taken lightly, but unfortunately it was necessary as we work to align our operations to reduced customer activity.”
