Fife has been dealt a major jobs blow with the news that 35 posts are under threat at BAE Systems’ Hillend plant.
When the company announced, after days of speculation, it would be shedding nearly 3,000 jobs across the UK, hopes were high that the plant near Dalgety Bay would escape unscathed.
Only last month the manufacturing division at Hillend won a £20 million contract to develop parts of the radar systems on the next generation of Typhoon combat aircraft (link).
It was believed that the contract, to develop electronic components for the radar system on the Eurofighter Typhoon, would secure around 200 jobs at the Fife plant for the next two years. So Tuesday’s announcement came as a particularly bitter blow to Hillend and was greeted by shock around the region.
Local MSP Helen Eadie said: ”This is very worrying news for the workers at Hillend. Only weeks after the team there landed a multi-million-pound contract it’s come like a bolt from the blue.
”I would urge the management at BAE to do everything to keep this highly-skilled team together and realise what a great asset they have in the people that work so hard for them at the plant.”
Fife’s environment, enterprise and transport chairman Tony Martin said the news was ”a huge disappointment,” adding: ”I feel very sorry for the people who are going to be made redundant. We have been very fortunate so far at Hillend because recently they have been taking on staff.”
He pledged the local authority would work with the company to see if there was any way it could help staff and look at other opportunities in Fife.
”These are always difficult circumstances when anyone is losing their job or any company is downsizing. However, these are highly-skilled workers and one would hope that their skills would be enough that they find other employment soon.”
Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker said staff should be given proper support.
”The loss of 35 jobs at this site is a devastating blow for the surrounding communities who rely on the BAE plant for employment,” he said. ”Engineering plays a major role in Scotland and I am deeply disappointed to see jobs going in our community at what is a difficult time.
”I will be in contact with the company and with the Scottish Government to ensure staff receive the appropriate support from BAE.”
The company, which employs around 40,000 people in the UK, said the jobs would go in its military air and information and shared services businesses and at its head office in response to ”changes in key programmes and the need to maintain competitiveness through offering affordable products and services to customers.”
The military aircraft division is being hit by a slowdown in orders for the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
BAE Systems chief executive Ian King said: ”Our customers are facing huge pressures on their defence budgets and affordability has become an increasing priority.
”Our business needs to rise to this challenge to maintain its competitiveness and ensure its long-term future. This transformation process is not going to be easy.”