JOBS are under threat at Oceaneering in Rosyth as the company have confirmed that they have entered redundancy talks with staff.

The oilfield services company, which has a 200-plus workforce at the Port of Rosyth, has started consultations with staff throughout the UK.

A spokesperson for Oceaneering stated: "We can confirm approximately 300 UK employees are in redundancy consultations. The roles are located throughout our UK offices.

"Fifteen individuals are located at Rosyth. Fourteen have been offered to apply for alternative positions within the company at the same location."

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman was disappointed to hear that Rosyth workers could be set to lose their jobs at the company that he described as “significant players” in the local economy.

He commented: “There is never a good time to lose your job and this announcement has come at a particularly bad time for the Oceaneering employees.

“We have seen the oil and gas industry take a massive hit recently and while oil prices are on the rise, it may be some time before demand increases again and that feeds through the supply chain and to companies like Oceaneering who are significant players in the West Fife economy.

 

“My SNP colleagues and I along with the entire oil and energy sector are pushing the UK Government to work out a financial package that can ensure jobs are supported at this uncertain time and help us transition into having more investment in renewable energy.”

The business has been operating in Fife for 20 years and their Rosyth base is equipped with state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities.

The site produces subsea umbilicals and hardware and is also home to the Testing, Qualification, and Reliability Laboratory, a purpose-built facility to meet the requirements for topside and subsea component and assembly qualification and factory acceptance testing.

Oil and Gas UK warned recently that up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs could be lost in the industry in the next 12 to 18 months as a result of COVID-19.