THE SNP has not spoken to workers at Rosyth shipyard about its independence plans for five years, a union leader has claimed.
Workers at Rosyth shipyard believe independence would be “catastrophic” for the 1,700 staff on-site, industrial trade union chairman Raymond Duguid said.
However, Mr Duguid said they have not seen the SNP since party defence spokesman Angus Robertson came five years ago.
Better Together pro-UK campaign chairman Alistair Darling visited the site as part of a “listening tour” of Scotland, which also took in businesses and farmers in Edinburgh and Tranent, in East Lothian.
Mr Duguid believes Rosyth would be “sacrificed” in favour of Faslane Naval base on the Clyde.
He said: “As the trade unions in the yard, we have got a fear that if independence was to go through it would be quite catastrophic.
“The foundation of our work is refitting Royal Navy ships and building these two carriers and without these foundations we couldn’t support the core workforce that we have got. A Scottish Navy wouldn’t be able to support that.
“Funnily enough, the SNP has not come forward to speak to us. They’ve never asked to speak to us yet. They’ve not taken on board our views.”
Mr Duguid added: “The trade unions network with each other and we have listened to the shop steward on the Clyde, who said he has been told by Angus that everything will go to them.
“Faslane will be fine but if everything goes to Faslane, there is nothing for Rosyth, so we are the sacrifice.
“Our people need jobs. If Faslane closes it’s not like we can go work for Amazon or sit watching a wind turbine go round and round.”
However, Mr Roberts said: “The SNP and the Scottish Government have regularly and recently met trade unions working in the defence sector and look forward to the positive contribution that can be made towards the Scottish Government’s white paper on independence.
“Mr Duguid is a leading activist in the anti-independence ‘No’ campaign. However, if he has any genuine and specific proposals to optimise the defence sector in a sovereign Scotland I look forward to receiving them.”