Defence giant BAE Systems is to axe 1,100 jobs and close one of its sites, unions said yesterday.
There was also bad news in Scotland, as administrators were called in at a firm hit by the slump in the car industry, and the publishers of a famous dictionary said it was to close one of its offices.
The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) said the BAE news was “bitterly disappointing”. The cuts will affect a number of sites, including Woodford in Cheshire, which will close, said the union. The CSEU’s general secretary, Hugh Scullion, said: “This is bitterly disappointing for the staff and local communities which rely on these jobs.”
BAE announced that, following a detailed review of its current and future business levels, it had started consultation on the potential closure of Woodford and cuts at another three sites, with the loss of 1,116 jobs. It plans to close the Woodford site at the end of 2012, on completion of the Nimrod MRA4 production contract, with the loss of 630 jobs. A further 205 jobs will be lost at Samlesbury in Lancashire, 170 jobs at Warton in Lancashire and 111 jobs at Farnborough in Hampshire.
Kevin Taylor, managing director of BAE’s Military Air Solutions arm, said: “While we regret having to make this announcement, we have to ensure we are the right size and shape to remain competitive and meet customers’ requirements in the future.”
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “Any redundancy, any job loss is a very difficult situation. It’s a personal tragedy for families. We will do everything in our power to help those people in British Aerospace to find new jobs when these changes are taking place.”
Meanwhile, the slump in the car industry was blamed for a jobs blow at a Scottish firm yesterday. Administrators were appointed at John McGavigan Ltd and 11 redundancies were declared.
The firm employs 135 staff, and administrators KPMG said they hope to sell it as a going concern. They were called in by the firm, based in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow.
It makes panels for dashboards, temperature gauges and speedometers and has a turnover of £9million. But it has been hit by falling demand in the car industry.
David Whitton, Labour MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, said: “Hopefully, the administrators will be able to find another buyer in order to save as many jobs as possible.”
Also, the publishers of a famous dictionary yesterday said it planned to close its Edinburgh office, with all 27 staff expected to be affected.
Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd – publishers of the Chambers Dictionary – said bosses had tried to make alternative arrangements, including the possible sale of Chambers, but staff were told no buyer was forthcoming.
It is now planned that the parts of the businesses – Chambers and Harrap, which publishes bilingual dictionaries – will be separated.
Chambers was established in 1819 by brothers William and Robert Chambers. About that time it printed, bound and published 750 copies of The Songs of Robert Burns.
Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd (CHPL) was formed after both W&R Chambers Ltd and Harrap Ltd were acquired by the French publishing group Groupe de la Cite in 1992.
CHPL is now part of the Hodder Education Group, a division of Hachette UK.
A Hachette UK spokesman said: “There was no option other than to propose closure of the Edinburgh offices.”
Meanwhile, the possibility of 200 new jobs for unemployed young people was held out yesterday by Scotland Secretary Jim Murphy.
He said applications from three areas – Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, and Perth and Kinross – were accepted by a UK Government fund aimed at creating jobs for long-term unemployed people aged 18-24. The first employees will start work in October in jobs which pay at least the minimum wage and will last at least six months. “These are real jobs that will give real help to the long-term unemployed,” he said.