Last updated at 14:27, Saturday, 10 July 2010

WORKERS at the Eskmeals gun range have been reassured there are no plans to cut jobs at the site – for now.

QinetiQ, which operates the site on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, is to cut 391 jobs at sites in Malvern and Farnborough.

But bosses of the Prospect union say up to 700 jobs could go nationwide.

The job losses come as part of an efficiency drive spearheaded by new chief executive, Leon Quinn.

The Eskmeals site currently employs around 100 workers but the brunt of redundancies will hit other sites, though QinetiQ has said there are “no specifics” for the west Cumbria site.

David Luxton, national secretary at Prospect, which represents 2,000 QinetiQ workers, told the Evening Mail there will be changes at every range operated by the company.

Mr Luxton said: “There are no redundancy plans at the moment but there is a review going on of all the ranges the MOD has a long term partnership with.

“Bearing in mind the MOD is going through 25 per cent cutbacks there is going to be effects on all defence systems companies.

“Clearly, there will be changes in the way the MOD runs the ranges.”

Bosses at Prospect have described the initial redundancy announcement as “the tip of the iceberg”.

Mr Luxton said earlier this week: “QinetiQ has begun a 90-day consultation with the unions, initially on 391 job losses, but it is expected that over 700 jobs will disappear during that period.”

Mr Luxton said the loss of jobs at QinetiQ will have a noticeable impact on the UK’s defence strategy.

He said: “Our members in QinetiQ give a technological edge to our armed forces which is evident in current military operations.

“The loss of so many skilled and innovative scientists and engineers will inevitably impact on the UK’s defence capabilities.”

Douglas Millard, a spokesman for QinetiQ, said on Wednesday there were “no specifics” available for possible redundancies at the site.

Mr Millard said: “As we say, the majority of the job losses will be at both the Malvern and Farnborough sites, we do not have specifics for Eskmeals at all.

“There’s still a review going on and we do not know more than that.”

Roland Woodward, chairman of Millom and Haverigg Economic Development Group, said redundancies at the site could have a damaging effect on Copeland’s economy.

He said: “It would hit the economy of west Cumbria and particularly Millom hard.

“It would be a blow to those who work at QinetiQ.

“Every job loss has a negative effect, even if just one job is lost.”

First published at 10:31, Saturday, 10 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk