Around 450 jobs are to go at BAE SYSTEMS Warton and Samlesbury plants out of a total of 950 that will be shed nationally. In such a large company it could be expected that there will be a lot of volunteers and redeployment but with the Strategic Defence Review approaching the company workforce could be in for a rocky time so transferring to another site might not be a good move.
Over the years there have been many ups and downs and the factories in the north west have benefitted from consolidation of the industry. With the rump of the aircraft sector now being in the north-west there isn’t a lot more consolidation available and changing technologies mean new types of aircraft are being developed with new companies entering the market as well as new countries.
Over the years this industry has done well for the region and there is little opportunity for similar work possibly in the UK so any damage could further degrade the UK skilled engineering base. Reduce the potential for exports and influence while creating a need to import these expensive products: double losses all round. Not to mention the small factories all over the north-west who supply parts.
At the moment it hasn’t come to major reductions and Liam Fox commented that he wanted new technology to be introduced rather than upgrading old products. Upgrading is a useful piece of business but the prestige of producing a new and complete product creates a more solid core and a reputation that brings customer confidence and a position of strength in negotiations with potential partners.