THE Scottish government was accused yesterday of “letting down” workers at Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) whose jobs are at risk after ministers allegedly reneged on promises to become the firm’s “primary financiers.”

SNP ministers were pressed to reveal more about their September decision to withdraw an offer of a £30 million guarantee to the business, which led to the yards losing out on a major engineering contract. 

BiFab said that its Canadian majority owner had repeatedly offered to transfer shares to the government at no cost, which would have given the government, which is already a minority shareholder, more flexibility to support the company.

During a meeting of the Parliament’s economy, energy and fair work committee, the president of Canada-based DF Barnes told MSPs that the firm had been preparing to put up to 500 employees back to work on a contract for turbine jackets for the Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore windfarm project. 

GMB organiser Hazel Nolan, who also appeared at Holyrood, called for the legal advice given to the government on that decision to be published.

Ms Nolan said that Scotland, which has “historically been a world leader” in the production of offshore wind power, has now become “a world loser in terms of generating jobs for this country.”

The union understands that the Scottish government made clear that it would provide a guarantee for the NnG contract work, but ministers went on to pull this at the very last minute, she added.

A debate on BiFab’s future, led by Scottish Labour, is due today, with MSPs calling for a U-turn on the SNP’s withdrawal of support for the yards in Fife and the Western Isles.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard accused the government of lining up with the Tories at Westminster “to keep the green jobs of the future away from Scotland,” warning: “BiFab has become a symbol of the SNP’s wider hit-and-miss approach to industry.”

The calls followed a protest outside the firm’s base in Burntisland, Fife, yesterday morning by politicians and local campaigners, with the latter saying that government promises of a wind-powered energy future look set to be broken. 

Fife TUC chair Tam Kirby added: “The continued failed promises from all governments over the creation of thousands of green jobs ring hollow here in Fife.”