Brewer accused of rejecting help

Carlsberg UK said they were doing everything they could for staff

Plans by Carlsberg UK to close its Alloa distribution depot have been criticised by an MSP who claims the company refused help to save jobs.

Ochil SNP MSP Keith Brown said the brewer refused help under a government scheme which could have offered support to workers.

The company announced in January that 59 jobs would go at the Alloa plant.

However, in March plans were unveiled for a new smaller depot close to the old one which would employ 18 staff.

Mr Brown said Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley had contacted Carlsberg UK in the days following the closure announcement offering help under the government's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) scheme.

Carlsberg have a responsibility to do everything possible to reduce the effect of their action Keith Brown Ochil MSP

Mr Brown said PACE was designed to provide early support in a closure process and help to find other employment and training for those being laid-off.

He has now written to the company demanding to know why the offer of help was rejected.

'Right choices'

He said: "There are still 41 households in my constituency who will suffer from the closure.

"Carlsberg have a responsibility to do everything possible to reduce the effect of their action, and that runs over and above announcing a slimmed-down replacement operation, which may very well have been in the pipeline from the start."

In response to the criticism, a spokesman for Carlsberg UK insisted the company was doing everything it could for staff.

He added: "In relation to the approach by Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley offering support under the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) framework, unfortunately it appears that we have not yet received the detail.

"However, as part of our commitment to assessing all options, Carlsberg UK will gladly look at the options on offer to ensure we can make the right choices for our employees."

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