Workers fear for jobs as Rolls-Royce wields axe
LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER
More than 1,300 workers at Rolls-Royce in Inchinnan have been left in the dark about their futures after the company announced plans to axe at least 9,000 jobs globally.
The engineering firm - which has a major aerospace factory in Inchinnan - has proposed the drastic cuts as part of addressing the unprecedented impact Covid-19 is having on the aviation industry.
The company said the “major reorganisation” will predominantly affect its civil aerospace business and, according to union Unite, 3,375 jobs could be cut in the UK.
But since bosses have not confirmed which specific sites will be affected, employees at the Inchinnan base have been left fearing for their jobs.
S t e v e Tu r n e r, U n i t e assistant general secretary for manufacturing, has slammed the decision and accused the firm of “shameful opportunism”.
He said: “The news Rolls-Royce is preparing to throw thousands of skilled, loyal, world-class workers, their families and communities under the bus during the worst public health crisis since 1918 is shameful opportunism.
“This company has accepted public money to furlough thousands of workers. Unite and Britain’s taxpayers deserve a more responsible approach to a national emergency. We call upon RollsRoyce to step back from the brink and work with us on a better way through this crisis.
“We will be meeting with the company over the coming days to convince them to take a different approach.”
The Inchinnan branch manufactures compressor blades and seals for planes.
It is the company’s second-largest civil aerospace base in the UK - in terms of numbers of employees - and is one of Renfrewshire’s largest employers.
Rolls- Royce has said the proposed reorganisation is expected to generate annualised savings of more than £1.3billion, with the job losses expected to contribute around £700million.
Bosses believe activity in the commercial aerospace market will take several years to return to the levels seen before the pandemic.
And chief executive Warren East said the company is having to make “difficult decisions” to see the business through the crisis.
Mr East said: “This is not a crisis of our making. But it is the crisis we face and we must deal with it.
“Our airline customers and airframe partners are having to adapt and so must we. Being told there is no longer a job for you is a terrible prospect and it is especially hard when all of us take so much pride in working for Rolls-Royce.
“But we must take difficult decisions to see our business through these unprecedented times. Governments across the world are doing what they can to assist businesses in the short-term, but we must respond to market conditions for the medium-term until the world of aviation is flying again at scale, and governments cannot replace sustainable customer demand that is simply not there.
“We have to do this right, which means we will work closely with our employee and trade union representatives as appropriate, look at any viable alternatives to mitigate the impact, consult with everyone affected and treat our people with dignity and respect.”