Yeovil AgustaWestland Jobs To Go

News of major job losses in the aerospace industry has prompted an MP to slam plans to cut up to 375 jobs at not only AgustaWestland's Yeovil business, but also at other UK sites.

The job cuts are to be principally at the management level and in corporate functions, with the numbers of staff engaged in actual aircraft production remaining substantially unchanged.

David Laws - who was already disappointed with separate job cuts at Yeovil's BAE Systems site and at nearby RNAS Yeovilton - said: "This is clearly further bad news for South Somerset, in a period where there have been other major local redundancy announcements affecting the defence sector.

"I am very sad indeed for all of the staff whose jobs are at risk, and for their families," he said.

AgustaWestland is to cut the jobs under a restructuring of its UK operations, the helicopter firm has announced.

The Finmeccanica-owned company said revenues from the Ministry of Defence were declining, while export orders had slipped in the near term.

The job losses will mainly be in management and corporate functions, said the firm, which employs almost 3,600 workers in the UK mainly at its factory in Yeovil, Somerset.

This morning too, the UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The news of job losses at AgustaWestland will be upsetting for the individuals involved and the wider community in Yeovil."

He said that the Business, Innovation and Skills Department (BIS) is working with the company to help secure a long term future for the site by helping them to move in to civil helicopter work where there are strong opportunities for growth.

"In July I announced £32 million of Government investment in AgustaWestland Yeovil to help introduce the civil AW169 aircraft and we hope that this will allow them to expand in the future," he said.

Meanwhile, the JobCentre Plus Rapid Response Service is on hand to provide a range of support measures and BIS officials are in contact with the company to ensure that everything possible is done to help those affected.

"The Skills and Jobs Retention Group, chaired by Allan Cook, is also ready to help the small number of skilled engineers affected by today's announcement," he added.

(BMcC/CD)