SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVE MSPS SLAM ENERGY FIRM OVO AFTER IT ANNOUNCES REDUNDANCY PROGRAMME – CONCERNS FOR PERTH JOBS
Scottish Conservative MSPs Liz Smith and Murdo Fraser have slammed energy firm OVO after the company announced it is set to shed jobs through a voluntary redundancy programme.
The politicians, who both represent the Mid Scotland and Fife region, have accused OVO of “breaking its promises” made in January, when the company stated there would be no redundancies after they took over the consumer department of Perth-based SSE.
OVO has now said it will be shedding jobs and there are major concerns for the Perth workforce – estimated to be around 1,000 people - who work at the energy firm’s contact centre. OVO are blaming the impact of Covid-19 for its decision.
Commenting, Liz Smith said: “No-one doubts the huge detrimental impact of Coronavirus on business but the fact remains that promises were made in January that there would be no redundancies.
“Now, the company is breaking these promises and putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Not only is that a very personal concern for these workers and their families but also a major hit to the Perth economy at a time when its resilience is already low.”
And Mr Fraser added: “This is a very concerning time for staff working for OVO. I will be seeking assurances from the management team that efforts will be made to keep as many jobs as possible in their Perth office.
“OVO have basically back-tracked on the promise they gave when they took over the running of the company in January that there would be no job losses. Obviously, many businesses throughout the country have been impacted by Covid-19 but this is a time when employers should be doing all they can to support their workforce, not threaten them with redundancy.”