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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Airbus confirms plans to cut jobs | Airbus confirms plans to cut jobs |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Management at the Airbus plant in north Wales have confirmed they are looking at shedding 250 agency jobs. | Management at the Airbus plant in north Wales have confirmed they are looking at shedding 250 agency jobs. |
| Unions have been meeting management at the Broughton factory in Flintshire, which employs just over 6,000 people, to discuss staff levels | Unions have been meeting management at the Broughton factory in Flintshire, which employs just over 6,000 people, to discuss staff levels |
| Airbus said it was looking at reducing staff in "a review of its business and manpower requirements." | Airbus said it was looking at reducing staff in "a review of its business and manpower requirements." |
| Unions said they were disappointed and would continue to talk with the company to try to minimise job losses. | Unions said they were disappointed and would continue to talk with the company to try to minimise job losses. |
| Airbus issued a statement following meetings saying it has asked Blue Arrow Managed Services to "look at reducing the size of its complementary labour force at Airbus' Broughton facility, by approximately 250." | Airbus issued a statement following meetings saying it has asked Blue Arrow Managed Services to "look at reducing the size of its complementary labour force at Airbus' Broughton facility, by approximately 250." |
| The statement said Airbus, Blue Arrow Managed Services and Unite "have been - and will continue to be - working closely together, in the coming months, to manage this situation effectively and responsibly, with the shared objective of avoiding compulsory redundancies of Blue Arrow employees wherever possible". | The statement said Airbus, Blue Arrow Managed Services and Unite "have been - and will continue to be - working closely together, in the coming months, to manage this situation effectively and responsibly, with the shared objective of avoiding compulsory redundancies of Blue Arrow employees wherever possible". |
| We don't know what's gonna happen in the near future, we're all worried to death about the near future. Works convenor Terry Dillon | |
| Earlier, unions said the company had said it hoped most, if not all the cuts, could be achieved through voluntary redundancies. | Earlier, unions said the company had said it hoped most, if not all the cuts, could be achieved through voluntary redundancies. |
| The unions have been told the redundancies result from, a downturn in orders, particular for the Hawker business jet. | |
| Workers convenor Terry Dillon said orders for the jet were dropping to less than half of what Airbus had anticipated. | |
| He said: "Hawker jets has announced a drop in programme from 120 jets this year down to 48 aircraft which is a huge drop for us. | |
| "That puts us in a position where we need to find jobs for those 250 people off that programme into the factory. | |
| "There are other jobs in the factory. We will be working with the company to try and mitigate those numbers." | |
| Global downturn | |
| But Mr Dillon admitted: "We don't know what's gonna happen in the near future, we're all worried to death about the near future. | |
| "As with the car industry aircraft industry relies on a lot of borrowed money from banks and we're worried about what's round the corner." | |
| Unite's national officer Bernie Hamilton said: "This is the latest indication of how the global downturn is affecting the world economy." | Unite's national officer Bernie Hamilton said: "This is the latest indication of how the global downturn is affecting the world economy." |
| The union is demanding that Airbus does everything possible to avoid compulsory cuts for permanent and agency staff. | |
| Mr Hamilton added: "Airbus must keep to their commitments, agreed after 9/11, which mean that, before the company considers compulsory redundancies, they must first bring outsourced work in-house, reduce overtime to a minimum and seek volunteers from the entire workforce. | |
| Training and skills | |
| "There are 1,400 temporary workers on the site. We will not allow these workers to be sacrificed." | "There are 1,400 temporary workers on the site. We will not allow these workers to be sacrificed." |
| Conservative economic spokesman David Melding AM said it was a "particularly grim indication" of the economic situation in Wales. | Conservative economic spokesman David Melding AM said it was a "particularly grim indication" of the economic situation in Wales. |
| "Airbus is the premier manufacturer in Wales and has set standards of excellence on training and skills development," said Mr Melding. | "Airbus is the premier manufacturer in Wales and has set standards of excellence on training and skills development," said Mr Melding. |
| "That such a company is reported to be considering this move shows the depth of the crisis the Welsh economy is now facing." | "That such a company is reported to be considering this move shows the depth of the crisis the Welsh economy is now facing." |
| North-east Wales has been badly hit by the recession in recent months, with jobs being axed by Corus at Shotton and by Toyota on Deeside. | North-east Wales has been badly hit by the recession in recent months, with jobs being axed by Corus at Shotton and by Toyota on Deeside. |