Construction union UCATT has spoken out over its fears that a Bothwell-based engineering company is close to failure, putting Central Scotland 700 jobs in peril.
The announcement comes amid the news on Tuesday morning (January 10 2012) that workers at the WJ Harte firm were being sent home.
UCATT said it had received a number of calls from workers at the firm, who had been advised to go home. It was this development which prompted them to state their fears that administrators were to be called in.
When contacted by the BBC to confirm the news, the firm said it was unable to comment. The representative spoken to said WJ Harte would be issuing a statement at a later time.
Working with engineering projects on residential builds, WJ Harte has been providing services to the construction trade since 1974. Responsible for more 700 employees, it would be a devastating blow to the local economy, with the workers and families immediately affected.
Whilst the poor economic conditions and continuing problems with securing commercial finance in Scotland and elsewhere are causing a number of companies to go into administration recently, this news is particularly surprising.
Earlier this week, it was revealed by the British Chamber of Commerce that the construction industry is one of few sectors presently seeing moderate growth.
However, this could be good news for investors looking to take on the 38 year old company.
The union certainly hopes that a buyer can be found, with regional secretary Harry Frew confirming that UCATT will contact the administrators as soon as possible, to discuss the situation and work to protect all employees.
