Unite for
Jobs for aerospace and shipbuilding workers
The aerospace sector is faced with its biggest challenge since
the tragic consequences of 9/11.
The global downturn of airline travel is having an enormous
effect and is impacting on companies across the sector in the
UK.
The Shipbuilding/Repair sector in the UK is at present insulated
from the current difficulties, due to the fact that most, if not
all, of the sector is reliant on government contracts both from the
UK and abroad. However this will feel the squeeze as public sector
spending is reigned in.
Aerospace
Bombardier
Since March, the downturn in the business jet market has continued
to decline severely. Bombardier has announced a further 3000 jobs
to be lost worldwide, 1000 in the UK. This is on top of the 350
that were announced in February at the Belfast site.
Spirit Aerostructures
The global downturn is likely to impact on the large passenger jet
market of Airbus and Boeing from the middle to end of 09.
This, in turn, will impact on jobs.
Spirit Aeorstructures is trying to avoid redundancies but they
may need to go to short time working. The International Machinist
Union (IAM) has reported a massive collapse in demand for business
jet products, with the consequent loss of jobs. In the last month
10,000 jobs have gone and many more thousands are set to as jobs
are lost in US at companies Boeing, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Lear
Jet (Bombardier) and Gulfstream.
As a leading tier 1 supplier to both Airbus and Boeing and
having significant work packages in the business jet market with
Hawker Beechcraft, Spirit are feeling the early effects of the
squeeze on orders, with most temporary workers on the site in the
UK being released from employment as their contracts expire.
GKN
As another tier 1 supplier to the Aerospace industry, GKN are
feeling the effects of the downturn similar to Spirit. They
have announced job losses, closures and a change to the pension pay
out discretion.
While the GKN Aerospace division is the least affected by these
announcements, our members in the automotive division are being hit
hard. A consultative ballot of all members on employment changes
has been conducted, returning an 87% rejection of the company’s
proposals and support for industrial action.
Meggitt Aerospace
The company has announced significant changes to the members’
pension schemes, seeking to bring all the schemes into one, while
also making other very complicated amendments which will have an
adverse effect on our members. We have challenged the company to
review their proposals.
Airbus
The continued slow down of the world economies, leading to sharp
declines in airline passenger numbers and therefore losses at most
airlines, is having an impact on the airplane makers.
Both Airbus and Boeing are reporting continued softening of the
order books with predictions that if current trends continue into
2010 then an already difficult period will worsen.
Many of the products are being affected by the cancellation and
delaying of orders. While it is recognised that this is a temporary
decline, it will bit the sector’s ability to hold onto our members’
jobs, and maintain the knowledge base and skills ready for the
upturn in the market.
Rolls Royce
Last year, the company
announced job losses of 1500 to 2000 from the civil engine
business, the majority to be made in the UK.
Work will also continue to be moved from the UK to other foreign
facilities, meaning that work being paid for by the UK taxpayer is
being undertaken in overseas facilities.
We remain concerned that the downturn is more severe than Rolls
Royce anticipated, and that they may have underestimated the number
of job losses. The renewed consideration of their investment
decisions are another challenge for our UK members.
A key industry – and we need to support it
The UK Aerospace industry is a key manufacturing sector.
We are working to ensure that the government acknowledges this and
acts to support the sector.
Strategic support is crucial for the long term projects like the
next generation Single Aisle Aircraft and the Power and Lift
clusters, and to ensure key investments in the UK that are pending
in three key areas, namely Aerospace, Civil Nuclear and
Renewable.
Unite for Jobs is a major opportunity to push for this
support for the UK aerospace, and the skills, jobs and futures of
our members.
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