Most of the 700 Renfrewshire Rolls-Royce workers made redundant last year are still looking for work according to a shock new study.

The aerospace giant halved its 1,400 workforce at their Inchinnan plant last summer as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The plant’s maintenance, repair and operations was axed completely because of falling demand from airlines for their engines.

Now the workers’ union Unite is demanding former employees are provided with meaningful jobs with many unable to find employment and others forced into underskilled and underpaid roles.

The trade union said only 12 per cent of the 174 who responded to their survey had found work of equal skill to that undertaken at Rolls-Royce.

Among the minority who had found work, 65 per cent said their annual income had been reduced by £10,000 or more, with a further 24 per cent finding their earnings cut by £20,000 or more.

Almost a third of those made redundant reported having no income at all.

Pat Rafferty, Unite Scottish secretary, said: “The employment, financial and psychological costs are brought fully to the fore in this excellent research.

“Once again, we are on the brink of losing the skills of some of the most outstanding engineers in the world.

“The vast majority of Rolls-Royce workers who have left Inchinnan remain fearful of their futures. They are unable to find suitable work which matches their skills, and many are enduring major reductions in their household incomes. 

“We urge the Scottish Government to sit up and take note of the research findings and work with us to find suitable employment for not only the benefit of the workers, but for the benefit of our nation.”

The research, conducted by academics at the University of Glasgow and Newcastle University, began in September 2020.

They say the responses of the 174 men and women highlight a number of employment, financial and health challenges facing the former Rolls-Royce workers.

Professor Alan McKinlay, who led the research, added: “Rolls-Royce has been the jewel in the crown of Scottish engineering for many decades.

“It has produced highly skilled engineers as well as world-leading aero engines.

“The workers who have left Rolls-Royce are an important resource for Scottish manufacturing as a whole and it’s imperative that their skills are fully used.

“Instead, our research found that alarming numbers have not found employment or jobs. 

“These are the skills that we desperately need to deliver the green industrial revolution and are too important to be squandered.” 

The survey also found psychological and social costs of the redundancies. 
Around half (47 per cent) of the respondents had suffered mental health issues.

The majority (52 per cent) said they were fearful or very fearful for their futures.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Since the initial announcement by Rolls-Royce, the Scottish Government has worked with the firm to make sure everything possible is done to minimise the impact on jobs at Inchinnan. 

“We’re continuing to provide support to staff through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, which provides skills development and employability support to get people back into work as quickly as possible. 

“This includes the £25million National Training Transition Fund to help people take advantage of jobs available in growth areas of the economy, such 
as digital and green technologies.”