News that Michelin plans to close its Dundee plant comes just days after it was revealed that hundreds of jobs will be lost in the local health service over the next few years.
Official papers revealed that executives at NHS Tayside aim to reduce staffing levels by 10% to help turn around the board’s financial woes. That amounts to 1,300 posts being lost.
The workforce reduction will be achieved through natural staff turnover and patient safety is a “top priority”, the board says.
Health chiefs said their £540 million staffing bill must be reduced given financial constraints, adding their workforce is higher than similarly-sized boards.
Dougie Maguire, from Unite, said their members are demoralised by the plans, as he challenged comparing Tayside’s unique position with other organsations.
He added: “While there will not be compulsory redundancies, we remain fearful that shrinking the workforce will not only overburden those who continue to work in NHS Tayside, but that the failure to provide adequate resources will have a seriously detrimental effect on our communities.”
NHS Tayside has required government bailouts, known as brokerage, every year since 2012/13.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “Slashing staff numbers would be completely the wrong lesson to take when the health board is already struggling.”