AWE jobs being shed are the 'thin end of the wedge' - union

Alex Gore • Published 24 Oct 2009 18:00 0 Comments

A TRADE union fighting to save 50 jobs at the Atomic Weapons Establishment fear the cutbacks are the "thin end of the wedge".

AWE plc, which operates the Burghfield and Aldermaston sites on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, said on Monday[21] that the redundancies, expected to affect mainly office staff, were likely as the company looked to offer "better value for money".

Prospect negotiator Bob King said he understood money was tight following a reduction in MoD funding but added: "We hope they can be redeployed throughout the organisation. We are in consultation with AWE and if redundancies are to be made then were are asking for it to be achieved on a voluntary basis.

"This time it is 50 cases and we are concerned that it is the thin end of the wedge."

Another source from Prospect, who asked to remain anonymous, said they believed the cuts stem from the increasing pressure on Government to reduce Britain's nuclear weapons arsenal.

MoD spokeswoman Lisa Murphy said the contractual arrangements between the Government department and AWE plc are "incentivised" in order to provide "value for money for the taxpayer".

She added: "It is a matter for AWE plc to determine the most appropriate structure, composition and size of the work force necessary to meet our contract requirements."

A statement released by AWE said the company was carrying out a review of the ways in which "skills and assets" can be used most effectively to "meet programme requirements" and "offer better value for money".

Spokeswoman Rachel Whybrow said: "A number of changes are being made to ensure that AWE has the right skills and capabilities in place.

"At this stage, the review has identified a probable requirement for about 50 redundancies from within a range of corporate support functions and activities."

She added that the company was consulting with trade unions, the MoD and independent regulators and that staff were being kept fully informed throughout.

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