GMB urges council to approve Invergordon plans

Trade union GMB Scotland has urged Highland Council not to delay planning approval for a major energy overhaul at the Invergordon distillery, claiming it could put the entire plant and 100 jobs at risk.

The £15 million investment plan has met some local resistance

According to site owner Whyte & Mackay, the distillery’s future depends on council approval for an on-site anaerobic digestion facility, which would turn distillery byproducts into renewable energy for both the site and the national grid.

The £15 million (about US$19m) investment plan to overhaul the distillery’s 1970’s energy infrastructure has met some local resistance.

Whyte & Mackay has acknowledged the new technology will result in job losses at the site.

However The Spirits Business understands GMB Scotland is calling for planning approval to be granted to provide clarity and ensure as many jobs as possible can be retained.

GMB Scotland organiser Liz Gordon, said: “Our message to HIC is clear: Do not gamble with our members’ livelihoods and the value they bring to the local economy.

“Our priority is the defence of our members interests and there would be no realistic ‘plan B’ for the redeployment of their jobs, wages and skills outside of Invergordon if Whyte & Mackay wound down its operations.

“Nobody is denying that the company has a duty of care to the local community over the AD plans but the community and the council also must be realistic about the need for the distillery to renew itself if the business is to continue to thrive.

“Decisions like this aren’t always easy but for the sake of employment and the regional economy, there is only one sensible outcome and that’s why HIC should get on with the planning application process swiftly to secure the distillery’s future.

“This will be good for jobs, good for the economy, good for the environment and good for Invergordon.”