Jobs at risk at Alexander Dennis

115 jobs at Alexander Dennis are at risk.

The bus manufacturer has announced it's closing its Falkirk base, and turning the Larbert site into a chassis manufacturing base.

The company announced last year 400 jobs were at risk - but a furlough scheme was agreed with the Scottish Government to protect roles.

A consultation has been announced.

Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director said:

“We are proposing to retain jobs and restart manufacturing at Larbert with a focus on chassis manufacturing. This represents the best possible outcome for our business, employees, customers and supply chain partners in the current climate.

“This new approach would enable us to better align with the current market whilst improving our efficiency. It also allows us to continue to adapt to rapidly changing and challenging market dynamics.

“We remain grateful to the Scottish government for the furlough scheme support to secure these jobs, maintaining skills and manufacturing capability in central Scotland. We will continue to work with the Scottish Government, its agencies and the trade unions to support staff during the consultation period.

“We are absolutely committed to doing the right thing by our team members and our stakeholders to protect jobs, invest in our business and maintain strategically important manufacturing capability in Scotland.”

Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, said: “Redundancies and a reduction to operations at Alexander Dennis is a devastating blow to workers who have been in limbo for the past six months.

“The SNP Scottish Government must take responsibility for failing to protect Scottish workers, communities and industry.

“The SNP knew this problem was coming, and they should have acted in a way that would have helped secure the long-term future of Scottish bus manufacturing.

“John Swinney had been warned by Alexander Dennis in 2024 that his government’s decisions about where they ordered buses from would put the future of the industry at risk.

“Compare and contrast the SNP’s actions with Andy Burnham from Greater Manchester, who operates under the same UK legal framework.

“The Labour Mayor placed significantly more orders with British bus manufacturers compared to the SNP Scottish Government who just a week ago, committed to ordering more buses from a Chinese firm in the £45 million third Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3).

“That is taxpayer money going abroad instead of supporting domestic manufacturing. Shame on the SNP for their betrayal of Scottish workers.

“I, along with colleagues in parliament, will continue to do everything we can to press the UK Government to step up and do what the Scottish Government has not done and save the jobs of these highly skilled workers.

“Buses used in Scotland should be built in Scotland by Scottish workers.”