SCOTTISH WATER has confirmed plans to shut its current headquarters in Dunfermline.

The utility company says no jobs will be lost as a result of the closure of the premises at Castle House on the Carnegie Campus.

However, the decision has been slammed by trade unions, who have accused Scottish Water of treating their workforce with contempt and breaching their own procedures and the Scottish Government’s fair work guidelines.

Unions say the decision will impact more than 250 members of staff and have written a joint letter to the company’s chief executive, Douglas Millican, demanding that the decision be reviewed and asking that managers adhere to the recognition agreements they have signed with unions.

UNISON branch secretary Tricia Mcarthur said: “Scottish Water are treating staff with contempt. We are in a situation where the closure of our HQ – a decision that severely impacts on hundreds of staff – wasn’t subject to consultation or negotiation; we couldn’t even get truthful answers to what was happening.

"Scottish Water needs an urgent change of management culture – the board are charged with overseeing a public service in the 21st century, they can’t continue to behave like Victorian mill owners.

"If change isn’t forthcoming, we will be asking Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson why he is content with such flagrant breaches of the values he maintains his Government say they care about.”

A Scottish Water spokesperson confirmed they had taken the decision to close their office at Castle House permanently.

"There are no job losses associated with this decision," said the spokesperson.

"The office was closed at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and has not been fully open since, primarily due to issues with ventilation and heating.

"The decision was not made lightly. Several factors were taken into consideration, including feedback on employee preferences for hybrid working, pre-pandemic office occupancy, health, safety and wellbeing, financial sustainability, and our net-zero ambitions.

"The contractual base of affected employees will be changed to those offices closest to where they live and financial support will be provided in respect of any travel implications. We will continue to consult with our trade unions and employees to ensure the best possible outcome for all.”