Yorkshire BAE workers braced as jobs ‘hammer blow’ feared

WORKERS at the Yorkshire home of the Hawk jet trainer are bracing themselves after reports that defence giant BAE Systems is planning to axe 3,000 jobs in what unions describe as a “hammer blow” to the industry.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Sep 2011, 10:30 BST

Unions are seeking urgent talks with management after claims that the company’s military aircraft division at Brough, East Yorkshire, and Warton, Lancashire would bear the brunt of cuts.

The Brough factory now employs fewer than 500 people on the shop floor and it is feared any further cuts would leave it unable to meet future orders for the Hawk.

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Works convenor Roy Cartwright said: “We have been continuously hit with cuts and you get to the point where you start to question the viability. When there were the last redundancies the company said it was the size it needed to fulfil Hawk orders.

“If this announcement does affect Brough it obviously questions our viability going forward – if it doesn’t affect Brough, that’s different.”

Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy called on Ministers for a clear plan of action, describing the news as “a devastating blow for Lancashire and Yorkshire and a real knock for UK manufacturing”.

BAE said a review of its operations aimed to ensure the company was “performing as effectively and efficiently as possible”. It said it was slowing production of Eurofighter Typhoons. Brough carries out sub-assembly work on Typhoons, which are finally assembled at Warton.

Related topics:WorkersEast YorkshireUnionsLancashireWarton