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Chamber and committees

Ongoing Dispute at the MoD DES Site in Beith

  • Submitted by: Katy Clark, West Scotland, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
  • Motion reference: S6M-11613
  • Current status: Achieved cross-party support

That the Parliament notes with concern reports that the dispute involving non-craft workers at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Defence Equipment and Support (DES) site in Beith remains unresolved by the MoD; understands that non-craft workers have been denied bonus payments, which were awarded to other staff working on the site; believes that this decision runs the risk of creating a "two-tier" workforce at the site, with reported estimates from the GMB Scotland trade union suggesting that the pay gap between non-craft and craft workers at the site has tripled to £18,000; understands that the Beith site is currently involved in providing munitions to Ukraine for its ongoing war effort, and that non-craft workers play a vital role in transporting sensitive materials around the site and preparing these materials for shipment; notes reports of health and safety concerns at Beith, after near misses with machinery occurred during industrial action, which, it considers, also highlights the importance and skills of non-craft workers; further notes the view that all workers at the MoD DES site in Beith play a vital role that deserves proper and fair pay, and notes the calls for the Scottish Government to engage with the UK Government in support of the workers and to urge the MoD to resolve the dispute.


Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Neil Bibby, Ross Greer, Richard Leonard (Registered interest) , Carol Mochan, Paul O'Kane, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney