LEADING politicians are promising to put plans in place to help the 65 workers from Berry BPI who are set to lose their jobs.

It was announced this week that the plastics firm is to end manufacturing at the Greenock plant.

Both MP Ronnie Cowan and council leader Stephen have spoken about the need for intervention from the Scottish Government to support the workforce to find new employment.

The bombshell decision by the long-established Greenock firm is the latest jobs blow to hit Inverclyde this year, with 300 posts lost in Amazon in Gourock, followed by 170 when IBM pulled out of the area after around 70 years.

MP Mr Cowan says he is pulling together another a jobs fair for the BPI staff, following the success of a previous event.

He said: ""The Amazon closure revealed that there are local companies looking to hire good staff, and that there can be compatibility in skills.

"So we will need a similar response and I am organising a new jobs fair for the near future to match workers with the jobs available.

"My staff are ready to assist all constituents affected by this in every way possible."

The MP's office received an encouraging response from local firms when he invited them to register their vacancies following the Amazon announcement in January.

After that blow more than 200 people attended a dedicated Amazon jobs fair event, with 17 companies represented.

In April, 400 people attended a fair organised in conjunction with the Community Development Trust and Inverclyde Council.

Council leader Mr McCabe has already called on the government's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment to step in to affect the BPI staff facing an uncertain future.

He has instructed local authority chiefs to speak to the government.

Councillor McCabe admits he is concerned about the apparent downturn in the labour market locally.

He added: "As I have said before, the loss of 65 jobs in Inverclyde is the equivalent to 600 jobs in Glasgow.

"It is a major blow, there has been a plastics factory on that site for a long, long time.

"These are good jobs, people have worked there for a long time and the majority of the workforce will be from Inverclyde.

"It doesn't just affect the workforce, it is the impact on all their families.

"There is a slowdown in the labour market, particularly affecting young people as well.

"We know the pressure certain sectors are under as well."

MP Mr Cowan said: "I will be writing to the Scottish Government to ask what can be done to help the workforce."