Dozens of disabled workers at NHS uniform factory Haven Products in Larbert face redundancy

Dozens of disabled workers at a factory which makes NHS nurse uniforms are facing redundancy if contracts aren’t renewed.

Haven Products, which employs people with various disabilities at its factory in Larbert, said the number of tunics and trousers made for NHS Scotland staff will be drastically reduced in the last four months of their current annual contract and they are yet to have guaranteed work for the coming year.

The Scottish Government is also ending the registered charity’s annual contract to prepare and digitise Government documents, putting the jobs of 60 workers, most of whom have disabilities, at risk.

Haven Products has called on the Scottish Government to take action to avoid the closure of the factory and the loss of jobs.

Calum Stewart, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, fears he may lose the house he bought with his fiancée only two months ago if he is made redundant and can’t keep up the mortgage payments.

The 28-year-old began working for the company ten years ago, starting on the production line and later promoted to supervisor.

He said: “If we lose these contracts and this place is forced to close, the Scottish Government will be condemning the workforce here, who have many different kinds of disabilities, to life on the dole and their lives will be ruined.

“The people who work here will have the security, self-respect and dignity of having a job and earning a living taken away from them.

“This is the only workplace locally that gives full-time work to people with disabilities.”

Karen Motherwell, head of Haven Products, explained that the crisis they face due to the reduction and loss of the contracts means annual revenue will be reduced by more than £1.1m.

Ms Motherwell said: “This double-whammy will destroy our business and immediately make 47 disabled workers redundant. When this happens, the factory at Larbert will not be economically sustainable and we’ll have to close, making the remaining 13 staff redundant as well.

“The Scottish Government want to do the digitising work themselves at their records department in Saughton House, in Edinburgh.”

“Almost all of our staff are either disadvantaged or vulnerable and unless the Scottish Government move to have the contracts re-instated, their decisions will have a devastating effect on our disabled workers,” she added.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Haven Products Ltd have done so much to provide employment for disabled and disadvantaged adults in Scotland.

“Scottish Enterprise have offered the firm advice and support with their current and future business model, and we strongly encourage Haven to engage with them.

“All new contracts will be considered carefully, in line with subsidy control measures, to ensure value for money for taxpayers in Scotland.”