Unions warn of Airbus jobs risk

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Thousands of jobs could be at risk if Airbus UK loses a multi-million pound deal to build the next generation of aircraft, unions have warned.

The Airbus factory at Broughton, which employs 7,000 staff, is waiting to hear if it has secured work on the A350 jet.

But union Amicus fears Airbus has already decided that the wings will be built in Germany or Spain.

Airbus executive vice-president Tom Williams has said there is "certainly a risk" the work will not come to the UK.

He told the Financial Times newspaper: "In terms of primary load-bearing structures in composites, they don't have much experience in the UK."

The deal to build the wings of the new long-haul twin-engine A350 could be worth Â£100m to the Broughton factory.

This could see a rapid and devastating decline and could lead to thousands of job losses Bernie Hamilton, Amicus

The jet will have new lightweight, composite carbon which required new technology to build them.

The technology is already in place in rival Spanish and German plants, but not in Broughton.

Bernie Hamilton, from Amicus, believes Airbus does not intend to invest in this technology in the UK.

He said: "If Airbus do not - and this is what we believe - put this investment into the UK, then this will devastate Airbus in the UK.

"In the medium and the long term this could see a rapid and devastating decline and could lead to thousands of job losses."

'Quality' product

Mark Tami, Labour MP for Alun and Deeside, said there had been concern for a while that Broughton could lose out on the work

"Spain and Germany do have experience within the composite area," he said.

"This is the next generation of wing. We're not just talking about the A350 - it's going to be every aircraft after that."

Mr Tami said the plant needed to demonstrate to Airbus that it could build a "quality" product.

Robert Dowie, works convenor for Amicus at Broughton, said he hoped to learn more later on Monday whether the work would come to Broughton.

He said: "I'm never confident - it almost feels like a death from a thousand cuts if we don't get it."

In December, Â£34m of investment at the factory aimed at developing greener aircraft was confirmed.

The official announcement on the A350 is expected in February.