Sixty jobs at Bonar Yarns weaving company in Dundee saved for second time after cheaper energy tariff secured

Sixty jobs at a Dundee manufacturing firm have been saved once again after a cheaper energy supplier was found at the 11th hour.

Bonar Yarns closed weeks after it was bought out of administration due to an extortionate energy tariff.

But after securing a better deal, staff at the manufacturing firm, who’ve faced redundancy twice in two months, were delighted to be back at work.

“Some people have worked here for 25 years. People were just crying because they lost their job twice,” explained Wioleta Wink, a worker at Bonar Yards.

“We weren’t sure about the future, so good news today. We are very happy.”

After buying the business out of administration, owner John Newman was faced with a sky-high energy tariff.

“That an energy company on one day can charge you one rate and the next day treble, quadruple that and demand over £1.5m worth of deposits from a new company that’s trying to save the old company, that’s mind-boggling,” he said.

“But we got there in the end with a different company, and we thank them for giving us new quotes.”

The road to what turned out to be a crucial deal was not straightforward, and a large amount of effort went into securing it.

Lesley Johnson, a worker at the firm, was key in doing so and said: “I think through persistence and making it clear that there’s 60 people here in Dundee and that it was affecting their whole families’ lives and trying to get a good price, it was motivation enough to keep going and try to get the deal done.”

Local MP Chris Law will now raise the issue of excessive energy tariffs for businesses in Westminster.

“An energy company that can effectively decide who wins and who loses, the real human cost to the families of the people who work here, and for those who have dedicated their lives to this plant, it’s shocking.

“And it says something about a cost of greed crisis on the back of everything else we’re facing.”

The factory will return to full production on Monday.

The focus is now on attracting new business and weaving a bright future for the 100-year-old firm.

“I’ve not heard of anyone being held to ransom by the electricity company like this,” said Dougie Orchardson from Unite the Union.

“I’m just absolutely elated that it’s staying here now, and it looks quite safe.”