SCOTLAND’S trade union movement has slammed the “destruction of green manufacturing jobs” at Alexander Dennis (ADL) and called on the Scottish government to intervene.

Unite regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald told STUC Congress today that workers needed “more than tea and sympathy” from ministers.

She moved an emergency motion calling for solidarity and demanding the Scottish government consider creating a publicly owned bus manufacturer to secure the industry.

Ms Fitzgerald said: “In 2020 ADL had 850 workers building buses here in Scotland, by 2026 this had dropped to 350 workers and now they intend to slice another 115 workers off that figure.

“In other words, it is death by a thousand cuts. In October, apprentices will come out of their time after putting all that effort in only to be made redundant.”

Pointing to the recent purchase of 166 buses from a Chinese company, she added: “We have no beef with Chinese workers.

“The only people who are genuinely international is the working class — we aren’t the ones invading countries.

“But we have to make a stand here now. We need to keep manufacturing green buses in Scotland.”