Rolls-Royce pledges to protect 7,000 jobs in £150m investment
MORE THAN 7,000 jobs are being safeguarded at Rolls-Royce after the group announced its biggest single investment in the UK for more than a decade.
The aircraft engine giant said it would be investing £150m over the next few years in new and existing civil aerospace facilities across the East Midlands.
It will be creating a new facility at its historic site in Derby for the testing of large civil aero engines, which will create up to 200 jobs.
The group will also axe previously announced plans to close a precision machining facility in Derby, which will save around 150 jobs that were at risk.
Rolls said it had also committed to safeguarding 7,000 jobs after talks with trade unions, pledging that there will be no compulsory redundancies in the East Midlands region for five years.
Eric Schulz, president of civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “This investment comes at a time of unprecedented growth in Rolls-Royce.
“We are doubling the production of new engines at the same time as introducing three new engines to the market. With this investment, we are creating the capacity and flexibility to deliver on our goals, while committing to sustain employment in the UK.”
The jobs pledge comes after months of talks with unions. Rolls employs around 12,000 staff in the East Midlands, of whom 7,000 are covered by the union agreement.
Business Minister Greg Clark said the investment was “good news” for the UK, which has now kicked off Brexit negotiations.