MOBILE phone company Motorola is to axe 300 jobs when it closes its South Queensferry plant on the day before the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
The closure on April 30 will effectively signal the end of the American firm’s operations on the East coast.
Only 150 of the 450-strong workforce will transfer to the company’s East Kilbride plant with the rest being made redundant.
It comes
two years after Motorola shut its plant at Bathgate in West Lothian, with the loss of 3100 jobs.
Workers today slammed Motorola for the timing which coincides with the political lull in the run up to the elections.
They accused the company of trying to avoid a political row by shutting down when the Parliament is dissolved before the May 1 poll.
And union leaders also hit out at the move saying it was a "kick in the teeth" for workers because the timing would make it difficult to muster political pressure to challenge Motorola’s decision.
One Motorola worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "Closing while Parliament is not in session smacks of convenience for Motorola.
"They do not want to face the political backlash.
"They know there are no Government ministers around to pressurise them and there is no time for aid agencies to mobilise."
Another worker added: "It’s been noted that the Parliament is out, which means they’ll not get the same hassle as they did when they closed Bathgate."
Danny Carrigan, the national secretary of the engineering union AEEU, reacted bitterly to the announcement today.
"This is extremely bad news. We thought we’d heard the end of Motorola’s job cuts with the closure of the plant in West Lothian.
"This is another devastating blow for the Scottish economy.
"Motorola has again kicked our workers in the teeth and we think this is a cynical ploy ahead of the election.
"This gives us no opportunity to make our case before they move out."
The mobile phone giant had pledged to offer all the workers in south Queensferry jobs at their remaining Scottish site in east Kilbride.
But workers said the jobs they were offered were impractical and unrealistic.
Some were offered only twilight shifts with others facing travelling up to four hours a day.
One worker said: "The jobs in East Kilbride were never going to be viable for the majority of workers." A Motorola spokesman denied claims the closure was timed to coincide with the election.
"There are approximately 450 workers at South Queensferry and they have all been offered alternative jobs or a generous redundancy package."
"We have been very open with the employees.
"We are not trying to do something sneaky at this point just because Parliament is not sitting."
Andrew Wilson, the Scottish National Party’s economic spokesman, also slammed the decision to cut jobs during the lull in the run up to the elections.
"This is further bleak news, coming just a day after the Budget, which shows neither the Chancellor nor the First Minister have any real grasp of the extent of the problem in Scotland’s economy.
"We need a step change in our actions and a step change in our power to compete.
"We need to get used to the fact that businesses will go where they can be most competitive, and we need to step up that challenge."
A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "Motorola previously announced its intention to transfer jobs to East Kilbride following the closure of the South Queensferry plant at the end of the month.
"It is understood that all staff at South Queensferry have been offered the opportunity to transfer.
"Officials remain in very close and regular contact with the company, both in Scotland and at the company’s base in the United states."
