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The closure
led to the loss of 420 jobs, prompting workers to occupy premises in
Irvine and Kilwinning.
There are a number of unanswered questions surrounding
this company which require investigation and we owe it to the workforce
to get to the bottom of them.
Deputy Enterprise Minister
Allan Wilson will ask the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to
investigate events surrounding the closure of Ayrshire manufacturer Simclar.
The closure led to the loss of 420 jobs, prompting workers to occupy
premises in Irvine and Kilwinning on the weekend.
Wilson wants great clarity on events preceding Simclar’s declaration of
insolvency including more information on any asset transfers and contract
dealings that may have gone on prior to the closure, which he says has
devastated the local economy.
“There are a number of unanswered questions surrounding this company which
require investigation and we owe it to the workforce to get to the bottom of
them. The closure announcement by Simclar was devastating news for the
families directly affected and also for the wider Ayrshire economy,” he
said.
Wilson said that swift action is being taken to ensure that those who lost
jobs after the collapse were offered support and retraining:
“It was important given the scale of redundancies involved to get the
multi-agency Rapid Reaction Team up and running as soon as possible to
provide advice, support and assistance to those affected to find them
alternative employment or retraining opportunities and ensure the redundant
workers get any monies they are entitled to.
“I have made it clear that substantial funding, running to millions of
pounds, will be available to assist with this work, and the area's economic
regeneration more generally.”
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