The Uist economy is braced for a wave of job losses as the construction industry faces a serious downturn.

Eight people - the entire workforce - are being made redundant as quarry operators MacIain permanently winds down its business in North Uist. The company is also shutting down its tarring plant leaving Bardon’s as the monopoly tar supplier in the Southern Isles.

In South Uist, civil engineering firm Macaulay Askernish warns it may be forced to lay off five workers next week. Both firms are important island employers while other compnaies involved in the Uist building sector are known to be experiencing difficult trading conditions at present.

Raghall MacIain of MacIain’s said: “There is no work on Uist. Business has been difficult for the past number of years but the situation is particularly bad just now. It is only amazing we have kept going so long.”

He stressed a major problem is the lack of continuity in road works and other public contracts. Mr MacIain said: “We then end up waiting years for the next tender. We could be doing with jobs timed so one follows on from another.”

His concerns are echoed by Stephen Macaulay of Macaulay Askernish which is based in the south end of South Uist. Mr Macaulay said that it has written to its 17-strong workforce warning of the possibility of some redundancies. He explained: “Its because of a lack of work. It is a matter of surviving until some work comes off.”

He said the scarcity of tenders for council civil engineering projects was compounded by the irregularity of the contracts. He urged the council to push forward forthcoming coastal protection and roadworks.

Macaulay Askernish operates the only Uist quarry which is open all year but the current dearth of construction work and public civil projects means that it is often idle.

The firm successfully took advantage of the trial RET reduced ferry fares scheme to export concrete blocks and building aggregates to Skye and Lochalsh last season which helped delay the forthcoming payoffs.