‘Very disappointing news’

North Sea oil giant Total has announced that 250 workers in Scotland will lose their jobs following its multi-billion pound takeover of another firm.

The losses come despite claims that the embattled Scottish oil industry is beginning to recover as crude prices stabilise.

Unite said the only thing to recover is oil company profits and that “workers are not sharing the benefits” of increasing revenues.

The decision will affect Total staff and contractors in Aberdeen, where thousands of North Sea jobs have been cut since the 2014 oil price crash.

Total bought-out Maersk Oil 10 days ago in a ÂŁ5.8bn deal that made the firm the second largest offshore oil company in the North Sea.

However, the French-owned firm is now making cut backs to its 1,500 man workforce in north east Scotland.

A Total spokeswoman said, “Following the acquisition of Maersk Oil we have reviewed our operations in Aberdeen and are now consulting with staff on the future size of our business there.

Jobs slash

“We anticipate that this will result in a reduction of around 250 positions held today by staff and contractors.

“Total and Maersk’s employees in Aberdeen were told in staff meetings on Thursday March 15.

“Final decisions will only be made after full consultation with staff and their representatives.

“Every effort will be made to minimise redundancies and to find alternative posts in other parts of Total’s global business for those staff in Aberdeen whose positions may close.”

Unite regional officer Tommy Campbell said it was “very disappointing news”.

“Given that we’ve seen the oil prices stabilising, that rather than job losses we would’ve been hoping that there would have been jobs created,” Campbell said.

“We hear the stories all the time that the oil industry is improving when the reality is that the only thing that appears to be improving is the profits of the oil companies and the workers are not sharing the benefits of that unfortunately.”