I think I will go for a beer at lunchtime, and then a big ride tonight.
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Bae, to make 2300 people redundant soon,
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Posted 8 months ago #
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Military Air & Information - News Online
Military Air & Information - Notice 08/011 Potential Job Losses
With our workload for the UK Ministry of Defence reducing, partially driven by decisions made in last year’s Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR), we are more dependent on international work than ever before. However, in the wake of the worldwide economic downturn, all our customers are facing huge pressures on their budgets and cost has increasingly become a priority. Our businesses need to rise to this challenge to survive.We need to put MAI into the right shape for the challenges we will face now and in the future. Transforming MAI will not be easy and we will end up with a business that is smaller but it will be profitable and sustainable. With a clear focus on: combat air (F-35, Typhoon and Unmanned Air Systems); and information, training and support services; we will have a business with a sound future.
A changing workload
Some of our major programmes have seen significant changes. On Typhoon, the four partner nations have agreed to slow production to help ease their cost pressures. Whilst this will help stretch our production schedule until we receive anticipated export contracts, it does reduce the workload at a number of our sites.Pressure on the US Defence budget and top level programme changes mean the increase in F-35 production rates will be slower than originally planned, again impacting on our expected workload.
These programme changes, along with the impact of the SDSR, the completion of UK Hawk AJT production and a reducing workload across a number of Defence Information projects, means that we don’t have enough work to maintain our workforce at today’s level.
Cost Reduction
Over recent years, the Company has invested in programmes and sites to sustain them until we received anticipated orders – this position has now become untenable. Failing to act now will impact on our ability to win new business, so we can’t afford to delay making some tough decisions.Over the last nine months through our Cost Reduction Programme, we have identified opportunities to save money, particularly in our non-labour budget. This has included working with external suppliers on their costs, working with our colleagues in Head Office on reducing their costs, examining our IT spend, re-evaluating our planned investments and challenging all forms of discretionary spend. Despite this action, our overheads have not reduced in line with our workload. We therefore believe we need to reduce the number of roles that support the business, whether they are linked to the affected programmes or not.
Action is needed
Regrettably, we have today begun consultation regarding 2676 potential job losses across MAI affecting a number of our sites and RAF bases on which we have a presence.As part of this, we will start consultation on a proposal to end manufacturing at Brough with the aim of consolidating our manufacturing capability on fewer sites.
The potential job losses are as follows:
• 899 at Brough
• 565 at Samlesbury
• 822 at Warton (Including Preston)
• 51 at Christchurch
• 9 at Farnborough
• 19 at Filton
• 81 at Frimley
• 35 at Hillend
• 7 at Malvern
• 19 at New Malden
• 132 at Yeovil
• 33 in other UK locations (Including RAF Bases)
• 4 in overseas locationsWe appreciate this is difficult news and we will work closely with employees and their representatives to explore ways of mitigating the potential job losses, a process we have already started.
We will do everything we can to support MAI employees in line with the BAE Systems ‘Protection of jobs and handling rationalisation’ document. The teams leading the consultation have my full support in seeking mitigation opportunities across MAI and other BAE Systems businesses.
At this time, employees are not required to take any specific action. We will continue to keep you informed of progress and of the next steps.
We understand that this announcement creates uncertainty and concern but we believe that by taking actions now we will have a sustainable business going forward.
Chris Boardman
Managing Director, Military Air & InformationPosted 8 months ago # -
Yes, its almost a weekly feature/variation in the Sat or Sun Times as well!
Booms coming to an end though.
Did you see the news last night - 'We' flew countless missions over Libya in support of the rebels yet Britain has to stand patiently in a queue for any new oil contracts/rebuilding etc.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Feel for you guys, was told I was redundant 2 weeks ago, finish this Friday. I've been very lucky though and managed to line up another job. There is work out there, particularly for good trained people (BAE background is not going to hurt your CV). I understand how it feels to be told though, I felt like I'd been physically punched in the stomach.
Posted 8 months ago # -
I see I have a few MAI colleagues on the STW board then.
I'm in the 132 potentials office - that's about 45% of the staff! As we're busy, the effect on capability is going to be significant.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Sounds like an opertunity for us, We are taking on skilled machine assemblers / fitters / Electricians and PLC engineers. We just lost a BAe trained guy back to the aurospace industry last Friday building engines somewhere.
Good luck to all effected.
Posted 8 months ago # -
BAE are pretty good at making people "Redundant"
Perhaps there is some kind of fast planes proliferation treaty we don't know about.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Good luck folks.
Freddyg
(at BAE, up the road in Barrow)Posted 8 months ago # -
Indeed, good luck to all those affected, our part of the business in the the mix and thankfully I'm not one of the 'at risk' people at the moment...
Posted 8 months ago # -
what are the standard BAe redundancy terms like?
1wk/yr service or more favourable?
are any redundancys likely to be compulsory or managed via voluntary/wastage?either way, ouch, my sympathies with all those facing an uncertain few months while its all worked out
Posted 8 months ago # -
It seems the only manufacturing left in the UK will be toys for the rich.
Posted 8 months ago # -
It seems the only manufacturing left in the UK will be toys for the rich.
Which is good, because I'm due to start work there next week.
Good luck to all affected at BAE.
Posted 8 months ago # -
@soobalias - 3 weeks for every year
Posted 8 months ago # -
One thing that did come out today in the numbers we saw was that we have a 'pleb to manager ratio' of 1:5.
I was aware that the ratio was a bit on the wrong side but that was quite a shock to me.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Head Office is losing ~100 isn't it? Our rates (at our place, at least) are so high it's stopping us winning work now, just too expensive. But then we do lots of smaller <£1m contracts, which many other sites would consider not worth getting out of bed for!
Posted 8 months ago # -
Just as an aside this puzzled me!! BAE are still hiring contractors and even training them. I find this a bit ludicrous TBH.I did hear most of the jobs are going at Brough?? Today was told there are positions available and they would train from Pro E to Unigraphics and the hourly rate was in the high 30s.
*edit*Sorry Just re-read the new mail it say's training Pro E to NX users
The logic is beyond ME.
Posted 8 months ago # -
It's only one business division that's affected by these announcements - MAI. They (we!) do combat & training aircraft, reconnaissance a/c, Defence Informaition, Training, and UAVs.
There are still other business areas that need to acquire staff and their key skills though. Some of these projected losses will be mitigated by people moving business areas and/or locations.
Posted 8 months ago # -
spen1 - have you been told its 3 weeks for every year, we were told it was still in consultation, although its been 3 weeks per year for the last 3 rounds of redundancies at our place.
Posted 7 months ago # -
the government has miss spent not over spent. Its like they spend 5 grand on a bike and its got a slx crank and tora forks.
That's the best analogy I've ever read when it comes to government spending
Posted 7 months ago # -
That anology only works if the end product included the first version of a type of new bike, which was subject to some of the most stringent security & safety requiremens at the same time, and had to meet 100 people's usage requirements.
TSB - I think it's just an assumption that'll be the rate used.
Posted 7 months ago #
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