'Lack of leadership' blamed for 500 jobs lost at lens firm

Published on Tuesday 8 September 2009 09:49

A BUSINESSMAN who sold his contact lens company to Bausch & Lomb for £20 million has criticised enterprise chiefs and the Scottish Government for a "failure of leadership" following the US firm's decision to axe 500 jobs in West Lothian.

Ron Hamilton, who sold Livingston-based Award to Bausch & Lomb in 1996, said it was a "tragedy" that the American company had been able to move its operations to Ireland.

The contact lens firm announced on Friday that it is to shut its factory in Livingston within the next 18 months.

Mr Hamilton, who now runs contact lens firm Daysoft in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, said employees in Livingston had been let down by Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government.

He said workers in West Lothian were producing daily disposable contact lenses, which had more of a future than twice-weekly and monthly products being manufactured in Ireland and the US.

He said: "What we're really seeing here is that the Irish economic development model is superior to the Scottish one. What we're seeing is a 500-job transplant – it's a dreadful way to solve overcapacity at the Irish plant.

"Livingston is a well-equipped plant, with well-motivated staff, and has seen spectacular growth in a market place that's extremely large. B&L are by no means a cash-starved company, but they're mired in obsolete products. I'm really disappointed that this has been allowed to take place.

"They (Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government] are not doing enough – if every time they fight their corner they lose then something is wrong."

Mr Hamilton's intervention came as finance secretary John Swinney met with bosses from Bausch & Lomb yesterday.

Mr Swinney said: "The Scottish Government very much regrets the announcement made by the company last week.

"What we now have to focus on is continuing to explore whether there are any further business opportunities that can be pursued for the company and the site."

First Minister Alex Salmond said alternatives were being drawn up and the government was looking at "issues that can be pursued in the research and development field and perhaps aspects of manufacturing.

Meanwhile, union leaders vowed to fight the job losses, claiming Bausch & Lomb gave only one hour's advance warning of the planned closure.

Unite regional officer Rab Sherry said: "The company has behaved disgracefully, only giving the union one hour's notice before announcing the closure.

"The impact on jobs and the local community is on the same scale as what's happening at Diageo and we are determined to defend our members' jobs."

Bausch & Lomb says the decision to phase out the Livingston plant would provide "crucial" savings.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Unlike other countries, the Scottish Government does not control the key financial levers, such as corporation tax, that we need to boost long-term competitiveness."