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Chamber and committees

Proposed Closure of Amazon Gourock

  • Submitted by: Stuart McMillan, Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
  • Motion reference: S6M-07897
  • Current status: Achieved cross-party support

That the Parliament regrets the decision taken by Amazon to announce the potential closure of its Gourock facility, in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency; understands that, on 9 January 2023, Amazon unexpectedly announced to its staff that it was launching a consultation on the proposed closure of the site, potentially making around 300 people unemployed; acknowledges reports that Amazon has offered to relocate its Gourock-based staff to other facilities it operates in Scotland; understands that the only similar site in Scotland is located in Dunfermline, which has reportedly led to an acceptance that it is unlikely that the majority of the Gourock-based staff will move to another position within the company; notes with concern that Amazon is reportedly yet to explain its rationale for closing the site to its staff, local elected representatives, and the Scottish Government; understands that the age of the building at the Faulds Park location may have been a factor in the decision; believes that, if that is the case, concerns about the age of the building had not been raised with any elected representatives who have visited the facility; further believes, regrettably, that Amazon may have already made the decision to close the facility, even before the consultation has finished, in light of reports that, when senior Amazon employees have been asked what will happen in the event that the consultation finds that staff want the facility to stay open, no commitment has been made to respect the outcome of the consultation; considers that, in effect, this would make it a consultation in name only; notes the calls for Amazon to put its staff before its profits, of which it has reportedly made what it considers an astronomical amount in recent years, and further notes the calls for Amazon to commit to the Gourock facility on a new long-term lease and, if this is not going to happen, to be honest with its staff, and the wider Inverclyde community, as soon as possible, so that the staff can explore opportunities to gain alternative employment and the landlord can find a new tenant for the building.


Supported by: Clare Adamson, Colin Beattie, Neil Bibby, Siobhian Brown, Natalie Don, Bob Doris, Jackie Dunbar, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Kenneth Gibson, Fiona Hyslop, Bill Kidd, Rona Mackay, Ruth Maguire, Jenni Minto, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance