TRADE union Unite demanded immediate action to support engineering workers in Scotland yesterday following the loss of more than 700 jobs at Rolls Royce’s Renfrewshire plant. 

The vast majority of highly skilled aerospace workers at Inchinnan have not yet found re-employment, according to new research by the union.

The survey of more than 100 former staff at the plant showed that almost two-thirds were still out of work. 

Of those who had secured employment elsewhere, only 41 per cent reported that they were using their full range of skills.

Unite Scotland said that the research showed a concerning trend, with the aerospace sector unable to absorb the roles elsewhere. 

Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty called for urgent intervention to “provide concrete support” for the sector – and said that without it ”there is a real danger of these crucial skills being lost forever.”