Workers at the Alexander Dennis bus factory in Falkirk have been handed a potential lifeline after the company’s boss said the closure was “not a done deal”.
The firm is consulting with up to 400 employees at the plant and another at nearby Larbert with a view to consolidating its manufacturing business at a single site in Scarborough.
President and managing director Paul Davies told the Holyrood parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee that no final decision had been taken.
However, it would require orders for up to 100 buses this year and up to 400 over the next year, as well as changes to regulations.
“It’s absolutely not a done deal, it is a consultation process,” he told MSPs. “We’re very grateful for the active engagement we’ve had from both governments, from other political parties and stakeholders – we’re absolutely committed to keeping those conversations going, along with this committee too.
“But there are, for us, other implications around the long-term… is the market dynamic going to change? Our assumptions are, if they don’t change, we have to take action to look after the company.
“It’s a broader conversation, rather than just saying that an order will stop the consultation process,” he said.
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