Fish farming jobs to go
A major Argyll employer has announced that up to one fifth of its employees is to be made redundant in a significant reorganisation of its business.
Norwegian-owned fish farming and processing company Lighthouse Caledonia ASA will shed some 15 to 20 per cent of staff this year in a move which the company claims will ensure the long-term sustainability of the business in Scotland.
With plans to improve annual operational performance by over £1million from 2009 and to increase annual salmon production by more than one third to 30,000 tonnes by 2010, the company maintains that job losses are necessary - particularly where duplication in some aspects of the business has been discovered since the business was formed late last year.
Lighthouse Caledonia was created in 2007 after a merger of the former Pan Fish Scotland, Fjord Seafood Scotland and some of Marine Harvest’s operations in Scotland. It employs more than 120 people at its Loch Fyne fish farming units and processing plant at Cairndow.
A company representative has confirmed that redundancies will be shared equally across all staff, which means that around 20 of those people employed around Loch Fyne face redundancy.
In a statement released last week, Lighthouse Caledonia said: “During the course of 2008, it is anticipated that the number of employees will be reduced by about 15 to 20 per cent. Lighthouse Caledonia currently employs 356 people in Scotland. The reductions will occur across all parts of the business and in all locations. Investment opportunities to improve production efficiencies will also be explored.”
Commenting on the change, OddGeir Oddsen, Managing Director of Lighthouse Caledonia ASA, said: “We clearly regret that some jobs will be lost, but the long term benefits will ensure the sustainability of the business in Scotland.
“Following the merger last year, it became clear that we needed to become more market orientated and therefore we have had to review the organisational structure.
“While understanding that reducing the number of staff will be difficult, the reorganisation will put the company in a stronger position and improve its position in the highly competitive international marketplace.”
Brian Floyd, Lighthouse Caledonia Production Manager said: “We have to ensure the company is a sustainable business for the long term in Scotland and can compete internationally. The restructuring plan is an important part in moving the company forward.
“It is very difficult when this involves reducing the number of our colleagues, but this has to be done to ensure we are in a strong position going forward.”


EnviroKirn concedes defeat
Action group EnviroKirn confirmed at its AGM last week that it has had to take the decision not to progress its attempts to set up a community post office in Kirn.
The group had been working hard to try and establish an alternative following Post Office Ltd’s announcement that Kirn would be one of the 2,500 nationwide casualties of its network change programme.
It first tackled the closure decision by urging the local community to write to the consultation team, asking for a reconsideration on social and economic grounds and producing form letters.
Post Office Ltd maintained its position, while stating that it would consider any community-run venture.
EnviroKirn subsequently met with Post Office Ltd representatives, but found that the conditions attached to running such a project would be insurmountable - with prohibitive start-up costs and confidentiality agreements causing particular concern.
After Post Office Ltd expressed unwillingness to provide further information which the group said it needed for preparation of a business case, unless it signed the non-disclosure statement, EnviroKirn confirmed both at the AGM and in its April newsletter that sadly, it had decided it could not progress this matter further.
The opportunity still exists, however, for any interested party to attempt to negotiate with Post Office Ltd to set up a locally funded post office in Kirn, by making contact with Sally Buchanan via email on sally.buchanan@postoffice.co.uk.
Despite this particular setback, it’s certainly not all doom and gloom on the Kirn front, and the AGM heard that, post office issue aside, the group had accomplished the majority of the intended projects listed at its 2007 AGM.
The village received a four-thistle award in the Beautiful Scotland awards, and the attractive appearance of Kirn is in no small way due to the tireless efforts of the local volunteers who organise beach cleans, touch up paintwork, arrange planting, tidy up street furniture and bus shelters, and generally keep an eye for any kind of blot on the landscape, big or small, which needs to be attended to.
The group is planning the next phase of planters and hanging baskets around the village and tidying up other features such as the ‘Spirit of Kirn’ boat dispslay, in preparation for this year’s Beautiful Scotland awards. There is additional pressure this year in that the judges’ visit will be unannounced - so the onus is on all to ensure that Kirn is kept well maintained and in pristine condition throughout the year.
EnviroKirn elected a new committee for 2008 which will proceed under the chairmanship of John Glass, assisted by vice-chair Ian McNee, secretary John Cairns and treasurer Wilma McMillan.
The group is always in need of new members or additional volunteers to help with, for example, the watering and maintenance of planters and hanging baskets, or to assist with any other maintenance jobs required to keep Kirn looking good. If you would like to become more involved with EnviroKirn in working hard to ensure that Kirn continues to be both a welcoming and attractive place to be, and a role model for community support, please contact John Glass on 01369 703305 or visit www.envirokirn.org.


“What are we supposed to do?”
A new arrival at the Torlochan Travellers Site in Sandbank is still without access to basic facilities - almost three weeks after her arrival.
Susan MacDonald told the Observer that she pulled onto the site on April 10.
She advises that she contacted ACHA the following day to set up a tenancy agreement and arrange access to a kitchen and WC hut.
However, she says that her application is still being processed - and because she does not yet have a tenancy agreement, the hut has not been made available.
Straightfoward
Eight children live with Susan full time, including her seven-week old baby. Her remaining four children visit every weekend. She has to rely on other site tenants to help her with washing and cooking, and an outside tap for water.
“When I used this site ten years ago, it was straightforward - you were able to set up an agreement straight away, getting access to the huts,” said Susan.
“This time, when I approached ACHA, I was given forms to fill in and told that I would have to leave until my application was processed.
“I have nowhere else to go - what are we supposed to do?”
Worst site
Along with other tenants on the Torlochan site, who use parks all over Scotland, Susan says she is disgusted at the lack of facilities at Torlochan: “This is the worst site I’ve been on.
“Sites in the north east, for example, have streetlighting, bins and portaloos provided. Others even have computers for the kids and health and education drop-ins.
“This one doesn’t even have a sign to let people know where it is.”
Rights
A search of the Scottish Government’s website for information on travellers’ rights provides a 2004 response to a committee inquiry.
This states that design processes should take account of travellers’ views, and that local authorities should ‘plan or provide good quality serviced stopping places’ with amenity chalets conforming to both the “Below Tolerable Standards” and “Standard Amenity for Housing guidelines”.
Clean-up
Following Donna Collins’ approach to the Observer two weeks ago, when she highlighted the general conditions on the park, ACHA has started to address some of the concerns raised.
Skips had been placed on site, rubbish was being cleared up by contractors, and various tradesmen were on site carrying out repairs in the amenity huts. ACHA also stated that it had asked Argyll and Bute Council’s pest control officer to visit the site, which inspection revealed no evidence of rats at the site.
Process
ACHA also outlined its process for tenancy applications, in response to a question about fast-tracking in circumstances such as those claimed by Susan MacDonald. Director Nick Pollard stated: “All tenancy applications for a pitch are treated equally and consistently in line with the Home Argyll application process as this is a common allocations policy across the four principal housing providers in Argyll and Bute.
“That process does take time to complete as applications need to be checked, points allocated, and then checks and in some cases references undertaken from previous landlords and finally an allocation is made based on greatest need but also taking account of availability.
“That process can take anything between 2 to 4 weeks to complete. I understand that Mrs Macdonald’s application is being progressed in accordance with this policy and it would be inappropriate of me to comment to you on that application.”
Lease
He continued: “ACHA does not allow any tenant to utilise services at the pitch nor to use the pitch or to pay rent for that unless there is a legal tenancy and a signed lease in place. This is for the protection of both parties. A lease cannot be completed of course until an applicant has been through the Home Argyll process.
“There is no fast track process in Home Argyll other than the applicant seeking assistance from Argyll and Bute Council’s Homelessness team.”
Asked about ACHA’s future plans for the site at Sandbank in terms of upgrading facilities or making changes, Mr Pollard stated: “ACHA is taking forward a number of key proposals for the improvement of the site and will consult with tenants before making any submission to the Scottish Government for funding to support those proposals.
At time of going to press, Susan MacDonald confirmed that she had not yet entered into any tenancy agreement with ACHA and her situation remained unchanged.


Fuel Supplies hold out
Around 1200 members of the Unite union at Grangemouth oil refinery walked out last Sunday for a 48 hour strike after earlier talks failed to resolve a dispute with operating company Ineos over pensions.
As employees returned to work on Tuesday morning, a London meeting was being held between Ineos founder Jim Ratcliffe, company CEO Tom Crotty and union representatives, resulting in a ‘proposal’ to be considered by both parties ‘in coming days’.
Despite fears at the end of last week that fuel supplies would be hit by the industrial action, the effect in Argyll and Bute seems to have been limited.
Argyll and Bute Council discussed contingency measures at a meeting last Thursday. Chief executive James McLennan confirmed that the council would review service priorities and identify a number of designated fuel points throughout the region to key services if necessary.
Council leader Dick Walsh said: “I would appeal to the people of Argyll and Bute to co-operate and avoid all non-essential vehicle movements. We need to make sure that the emergency and essential services have access to what fuel supplies are available.”
Ferry services appear to have been unaffected by the strike action to date. Speaking last week, CalMac Managing Director, Lawrie Sinclair, said: “We will endeavour to keep our customers and stakeholders fully informed of the current position and any impact changes may have on services. A robust temporary refunds policy will cover any period of service disruption which may take effect in the event of the supply situation becoming a problem.”
Managing Director of Western Ferries, Gordon Ross, commented: “We have had no issues with fuel, nor do we anticipate any.”
The majority of filling stations around the region reported few supply problems after a brief surge in demand ahead of last week’s strike, though there have been isolated reports of difficulties in getting full deliveries of fuel, with supplies being ‘rationed’ to an extent by some fuel companies.
Fears remain locally however that fuel prices - only partly due to last week’s action - are rising to such an extent that the viability of businesses and services are now under threat, as well as adding to living costs for all residents.