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Unions warn BAE Systems job cuts may be tip of the iceberg

9 September 2010

Responding to today’s (9 September) announcement by BAE Systems that 946 jobs at Military Air Solutions (MAS) and Insyte (Systems Integrated System Technologies  Divisions) will be cut, the CSEU (Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions), warned this may be the tip of the iceberg.

The CSEU warned that the outcome of the forthcoming strategic defence and security review due in the next two months and the cuts being demanded of the MoD by the Treasury means worrying prospects in the defence industry. However the CSEU warns that knee jerk reactions from employers could make the situation worse.

CSEU general secretary, Hugh Scullion, said: "The unions are shocked at the scale of these losses and will be demanding an explanation from BAE. Talks will begin locally in the first instance to attempt to mitigate the planned losses and if necessary national negotiations will follow. The unions will oppose any compulsory redundancies."

"With the forthcoming defence review these cuts may be the tip of the iceberg but knee jerk reactions from employers could make things even worse.  Cuts are being demanded before the shape of the defence industry has been decided. The defence industry will suffer more than necessary, if employers make poor judgement calls.

"The defence industry is vital to the UK economy. The technical expertise built up in the UK is transferable to other areas of manufacturing. The government is risking destroying the UK's manufacturing base with ideologically driven cuts."

The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions is a umbrella union for manufacturing unions. Unite, GMB, Prospect, TSSA, Community and UCATT affiliate to the CSEU. The union negotiates with employers, signs national agreements, lobbies government and campaigns for manufacturing jobs.

According to the company there could potentially be:

• 212 job losses at Brough
• 26 job losses at Chadderton
• 55 job losses within the Harrier team at Farnborough
• 149 job losses at Samlesbury
• 298 job losses at Warton
• Plus a further 206 cuts at  BAE's Systems Integrated System Technologies (Insyte)

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315