British defence research and manufacturing skills lost as BAe
Systems axes 260 jobs in Leicester, says Unite
1 July 2010
The British defence industry has suffered ‘a body blow’ with
today’s (Thursday, 1 July) announcement that 260 jobs are to go at
BAe Systems in Leicester.
Unite, the largest union in the country, warned that the highly
skilled jobs that will be lost will make the UK reliant on foreign
companies for research technology for the next generation of
armoured vehicles for the British Army.
A mixture of research engineers, designers and manufacturing
specialists will lose their jobs when the BAe Systems facility in
Leicester closes at the end of 2011.
Unite, the biggest union at the plant, is already in
negotiations with management about employees transferring to other
parts of the multinational company.
Bernie Hamilton, Unite’s national officer, aerospace &
shipbuilding, said that the reasons for the closure included the
government’s decision to award the contract for the next generation
of armoured vehicles to the US company, General Dynamics.
Bernie Hamilton also blamed the new coalition government’s
decision to delay the upgrade of the Warrior armoured vehicle until
after the strategic defence review in the autumn.
He said: ”This is a body blow to the local Leicester economy and
also to the future research and development skills base of the UK’s
defence industry.
”It will result in the UK losing advanced research, technology
and manufacturing capability for armoured vehicles and will mean
that the UK will be dependent on companies from other nations in
future for its armoured land vehicles for the army.
”We will work with management to identify opportunities for the
workers affected to be able to transfer to other businesses
elsewhere within BAe Systems.”
The latest cutback follows the decision by BAe Systems to make
380 redundancies in the same division at Leeds and Telford last
year. The company employs 50,000 in the UK and a further 60,000
staff in the US and elsewhere around the world.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information, please contact: Bernie Hamilton on
07958624664 and 0845 604 4384 ext 51603 or Shaun Noble,
communications officer, on 07768 693940
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