By Edwin Mashonganyika
Nearly 100 workers at the Scotsman Printing Department Caledonian Offset Limited (COL) are likely to be made redundant next month when a proposal to cease printing production at the site is expected to be finalised.
In a letter to the affected members of staff the Managing Director, David Wells advised that, if the idea was implemented, printing production would be moved to Johnston’s Press in Sunderland as well as Trinity Mirror Sites and News International’s Eurocentral Site.
“The reason behind the proposal are that it has been identified that Johnston Press’s printing needs can more efficiently and effectively be met by moving work to Sunderland, Trinity Mirror and News International.
“Currently excess capacity exists in the News Paper printing Industry which means very competitive terms have been negotiated with Trinity Mirror and News International. It is also the case that significant investment in that Plant and machinery would be required at Caledonian Offset Ltd to ensure the ongoing quality standards our publishers demand”, Wells said.
The Managing Director noted that ‘clearly’ by ceasing production at COL, the investment would no longer be required.
“In summary these factors, and others, combine to create a strong and compelling business case for the cessation of News paper printing at COL” , Wells added.
Formally advising the workers that their employment was at risk, Wells said the role of the workers had been identified as “potentially redundant”.
He said a period of consultation was now underway and would take place both individually and collectively.
Wells said the purpose of the consultations was to provide a means of employee input while proposals remained at the formative stage, “to consider ways of avoiding or reducing the number of redundancies proposed and to consider ways of mitigating the effects of redundancy of affected people.”
“During this process you will have every opportunity to speak to me to raise any questions or concerns you may have. A decision of whether the role is to be made redundant will not be made without you having had the chance to contribute to the discussions”, explained Wells.
The Managing Director said he realised that the news may have come as a shock and that the workers may have had unanswered questions.
He encouraged the workers to speak to a staff forum or a Trade Union representative as it was their right to be represented during any discussions and meetings regarding the proposals.
An anonymous source said the longest serving member at COL was around 36 years.
The discovery comes after the announcement that First Quench Retailing, owners of 1300 high street off licences Threshers, Haddows and Wine Rack has gone into administration placing 6,500 at risk.![4057368945_515b664378_o[1]](http://edinburghnapiernews.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/4057368945_515b664378_o11.jpg?w=610 "4057368945_515b664378_o[1]")
The label mental illness is highly stigmatising. It encourages people to think of ‘the mentally ill’ as different, rather than seeing them as ordinary people who simply have more severe emotional difficulties to cope with. Popular misconceptions, fuelled by some in the media, see mentally ill people as violent and dangerous. A prime example of this was when The Sun’s reacted to the former boxer Frank Bruno being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and chose to run the headline “Bonkers Bruno locked up”.
In addition, a 2001 study found that only 37% of employers said they would in future take on people with mental illness. This compared to the 62% who would take on physically disabled people, 78% who would employ long-term unemployed people and 88% who would appoint lone parents. Little wonder then that 64% of young people say that they would be embarrassed to disclose a mental health problem to a prospective employer.
However, many famous faces are now coming forward and admitting that they suffer from mental ill health – thus helping to reduce that stigma. Famously, Caroline Aherne and Stephen Fry have both spoken about their experiences, while Kurt Cobain is probably one of the most famous suicide victims. Less well known is that funny-men Jim Carrey, Hugh Laurie and Spike Milligan have all suffered various degrees of depression. Following the birth of her daughter, Honey, Gail Porter spoke of her experience of post-natal depression, again helping to normalise the condition.
Fry has since spoken publicly about the experience of living with bipolar disorder and has made and presented a documentary about the condition and his personal experience of it, Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic-Depressive where he interviewed other famous sufferers of the illness including Carrie Fisher, Richard Dreyfuss, and Tony Slattery. He also interviewed Rick Stein, whose father committed suicide, Robbie Williams, who talked of his experience with unipolar depression, and comedienne Jo Brand, who previously worked as a psychiatric nurse.
