Scottish state-owned shipbuilder Ferguson Marine will cut nearly a quarter of its workforce, the BBC reported earlier this week.
The Port Glasgow firm said it will initiate a voluntary redundancy process through which it expects 70 posts will be terminated.
Local unions have described the process as "a betrayal of a blameless workforce" amid the company's claims that its long-term viability as a business would be protected.
The announcement of the voluntary redundancy process came as construction is nearly completed on Glen Rosa, a dual-fuel Ro-Pax ferry ordered by Scottish Government-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets for operation by transport company CalMac.
The ferry was originally scheduled to be delivered to CalMac in 2018. However, Ferguson Marine CEO Graeme Thomson has estimated that the vessel will finally be handed over before the end of this year.
Glen Sannox, Glen Rosa's earlier sister, was also originally slated for delivery in 2018 but was not handed over to CalMac until late 2024. Even after delivery, the vessel needed to be pulled from service more than once due to structural and technical issues.
Ferguson Marine, which is being heavily subsidised, has faced criticism for its work on the long-delayed ferries.
Ferguson Marine has also been awaiting the award of new shipbuilding contracts from the Scottish Government. However, ministers explained that further due diligence is still being undertaken before any contracts are to be awarded.
Thomson said Ferguson Marine faces "an inevitable gap in workload" as the completion of Glen Rosa would leave the company with virtually no shipbuilding activity while it makes the necessary preparations for contract negotiations with the government.
Thomson explained that the reduction of Ferguson Marine's workforce would ensure that the company would, "remain lean, modern, and ready to cut steel on the new fleet as quickly as possible."
