Hundreds of jobs are being lost at one of Preston’s main employers.
BAE Systems has announced it will make 750 staff redundant at its Warton and Samlesbury sites.
It is part of a restructure by the compnay which sees it make 1,915 staff redundant across the UK.
Chief executive of BAE Systems plc Charles Woodburn said: “BAE Systems is a world leader in technology, advanced manufacturing and engineering and our diverse portfolio provides a strong platform for future growth. The organisational changes we are announcing today accelerate our evolution to a more streamlined, de-layered organisation, with a sharper competitive edge and a renewed focus on technology. These actions will further strengthen our company as we deliver our strategy in a changing environment.
“Separately, we are also announcing actions at some of our UK sites to align our workforce capacity more closely with near-term demand and enhance our competitive position to secure new business.
“Those actions are necessary and the right thing to do for our company, but unfortunately include proposed redundancies at a number of operations. I recognise this will be difficult news for some of our employees and we are committed to do everything we can to support those affected.”
Read more: New plane lands at entrance to BAE at Samlesbury
Both Warton and Samlesbury are heavily involved in the Eurofighter Typhoon project and it is understood orders for this plane are drying up.
BAE says it is continuing negotiations with Qatar for the country to purchase 24 planes. This would secure production and manufacturing jobs into the next decade.
Here’s what Preston MP Mark Hendrick asked in Parliament in an urgent question to the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Insutrial Strategy Claire Perry.
He said: ‘Today’s announcement is a huge blow to thousands of workers and their families across Lancashire in the run up to Christmas. The majority of Lancashire MPs have today written to the Prime Minister seeking immediate action and offering to establish a taskforce to avert this disaster. Can we ask the Minister for a swift, meaningful and positive response?
“What intermediate and longer term action is being taken by the government to win contracts around the globe, to fly the flag and to sell the Eurofighter Typhoon and Hawk as this is essential to sustaining UK’s leading edge technology and sovereign capability as well as highly skilled jobs and a massive supply chain in the North West.
“In order to maintain a leading edge, we must look to the future BAE has developed a £12m skills academy in Lancashire. Will the government play its role and announce an industrial strategy for aerospace and commit itself to assisting BAE in developing a sixth Generation manned fighter aircraft.”
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