Over 40 jobs at Scotland's only cement plant under threat in ‘another blow to economy’

Government action has been demanded amid the threat of more than 40 job losses at Scotland’s only cement plant.

Union officials have sounded the alarm over 41 posts said to be threatened at Tarmac’s facility just outside Dunbar, East Lothian, which has been described as “critically important to the Scottish economy”.

Trade union GMB Scotland has written to the Scottish Government warning that the redundancies - accounting for about a third of the workforce - will not only be a blow to communities in East Lothian but undermine Scotland’s economy and manufacturing base.

The Dunbar plant is owned by Tarmac, a CRH company.

The plant, which makes some 700,000 tonnes of cement each year, is understood to be in talks with workers over the potential job cuts. However, the union argues that the plant’s strategic and economic importance demands political intervention.

Stephen McGhee, GMB Scotland organiser, has questioned management claims that production levels can be maintained if the workers lose their jobs.

In a letter to Scottish economy secretary Kate Forbes, McGhee also voiced concern about health and safety implications of increasing pressure on a stretched workforce.

“This may be the first step in deindustrialising the site with work, skills and taxes going elsewhere,” he warned. “With the widespread use of concrete, this would be another blow to Scotland’s manufacturing base and workforce.”

The threat of redundancies comes five years after the plant, which can trace its roots back to the 1960s, was given a grant worth some £1.5 million from the Scottish Government to expand rail operations at the Dunbar site.

Visiting the plant in 2023, Martin Whitfield MSP said: “As the only cement manufacturing facility in Scotland, the Dunbar plant is of critical importance to the Scottish economy and industry. It is also an important provider of highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships for local people.”

A spokesperson for Tarmac, which is part of CRH, said: “A consultation process is underway with employees of the Dunbar Cement Plant as part of planned changes to the operational structure and practices within our Cement and Packing operations. The consultation is ongoing and we’re committed to conducting the process with transparency and fairness. There will be no final decisions until the consultation period ends.”