Assistance for Annan Workforce

That the Parliament condemns the decision by Young’s Seafood Limited to send Scottish seafood 12,000 miles to Thailand to be processed; notes that this decision will result in the loss of 120 jobs in Young’s processing plant in Annan and that this is due to the company’s belief that the local workforce earns prohibitive wages, despite local wages being no higher than the national average; notes that Young’s is currently undertaking the statutory 90-day consultation period to try and find suitable alternative employment for its workers in the local area and that this period is due to expire at the beginning of February; sympathises with the workforce which is currently suffering the uncertainty over potential job losses, and calls on the Scottish Executive, in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry, to explore programmes such as regional assistance to aid the retention of jobs in Annan.