27 September 2011

BAE confirms plans to cut 3000 UK jobs

BAE Systems has confirmed plans to shed up to 3,000 UK jobs as business is squeezed by international cuts in defence spending.

Ian King, BAE Systems chief executive, said: "Our customers are facing huge pressures on their defence budgets and affordability has become an increasing priority. Our business needs to rise to this challenge to maintain its competitiveness and ensure its long-term future."

BAE's Brough site in East Yorkshire, which produces parts for the Typhoon jet (pictured), will bear the brunt of the losses with nearly 900 jobs expected to go.

The company has also launched a consultation on ending all manufacturing at the site.

Job losses are also mooted at Warton, Samlesbury and Preston in reaction to a slowdown in orders for the Typhoon and F-35 jets.

King added: "The four partner nations in the Typhoon programme have agreed to slow production rates to help ease their budget pressures. Whilst this will help extend our production schedule and ensure the production line stays open until we receive anticipated export contracts, it does reduce the workload at a number of our sites."

Business secretary Vince Cable described the cutbacks as a "serious knock to the individuals and communities affected".

Redundancies at Christchurch, Yeovil, New Malden, Frimley, Farnborough and Royal Air Force bases were linked to reduced work on information programmes,Harrier and Tornado, BAE said.

BAE said it was determined to work with employees on mitigating job losses.

The announcement ends days of speculation over the job cuts. Unite, Britain's biggest union, has targeted emergency talks with BAE over the planned redundancies.

The full potential BAE job losses are as follows

• 899 at Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire
• 51 at Christchurch, Dorset
• 78 at Farnborough, Hampshire
• 74 at Filton, Bristol
• 81 at Frimley, Surrey
• 26 at Great Baddow, Essex
• 35 at Hillend, Fife
• 21 at Loughborough, Leicestershire
• 7 at Malvern, Worcestershire
• 19 at New Malden, Surrey
• 565 at Samlesbury, Lancashire
• 843 at Warton and Preston, Lancashire
• 132 at Yeovil, Somerset
• 102 at other UK locations including Royal Air Force bases
• 9 in overseas locations

Author
Max Gosney

Supporting Information

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