Union praises Grangemouth firms for placing employees on furlough

Two major employers in the the Grangemouth area have taken the decision to furlough non-essential workers.
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Energy maintenance specialists Bilfinger UK Ltd, in Grangemouth Business Centre, and waste water management firm Veolia, in Inchyra Road, announced they were taking steps to place employees on furlough – placing them on a leave of absence on adjusted pay, effectively putting their jobs on hold – instead of going down the redundancy route.

Bilfinger employs over 200 people and took the decision to furlough all non-essential employees who cannot work from home, including those who may have been recently made redundant, and those on fixed term contracts.

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Veolia, meanwhile, agreed to keep their non-essential employees on 100 per cent pay while they are on furlough.

Veolia has placed its non essential staff on furloughVeolia has placed its non essential staff on furlough
Veolia has placed its non essential staff on furlough

The move was welcomed by union Unite.

Regional industrial officer Scott Foley said: “We warmly welcome the decision by Bilfinger and Veolia to furlough employees and not to take the totally unnecessary decision to make their non-essential workforce redundant.

“Both these Grangemouth based firms have taken a lead in how workers should be treated during this pandemic. The financial pain that could have been inflicted on the workers if they had been made redundant instead of being furloughed doesn't bear thinking about.

“We want to thank both firms for engaging positively with Unite in order to find a solution that helps both the workers and the company.”

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Normally meaning an unpaid leave of absence, during the COVID-19 crisis, furlough has taken on a different meaning thanks to a new scheme offered by the government.

For staff employed on a PAYE basis, companies are being encouraged to put their jobs on hold during the disruption period, rather than laying them off, with the incentive of the state paying 80 per cent of salaries up to £2500 a month.

Designed to run for the next three months, the government has said it will extend this period if necessary.

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