Over 1,300 jobs at risk at Derby train manufacturer
Over 1,300 jobs could be lost at Alstom’s troubled Litchurch Lane factory in Derby, it has emerged.
Alstom is consulting on the job losses at the factory – the UK’s largest rail assembly plant, which has no orders beyond the first three months of next year.
In September, the Government said it was working with Alstom to try and come to a solution to the problem brought about by the cancelling of the HS2 line between Manchester and Birmingham, which the company was due to produce trains for.
Alstom is set to start work on trains for the London to Birmingham HS2 line in late 2026, but there remains a sizeable workload gap at the factory.
The BBC says that 550 permanent and 780 temporary jobs are at risk.
An Alstom spokesperson said: “No committed way forward has yet been found and therefore it is with deep regret that we must now begin to plan for a significant reduction in activity at Derby by entering a period of collective consultation on potential redundancies at Litchurch Lane.
“We will fully support our dedicated colleagues during this exceptionally difficult time.
“We look forward to fulfilling our commitments on HS2 and successfully competing for rolling stock opportunities across the UK in the future.
“We remain open-minded as to the future of non-production functions located at Litchurch Lane and to potential future alternative uses for the Derby site.
“We will begin an extensive review of options, and will fully involve our stakeholders in this process.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “There is absolutely no justification for the proposed job losses. It is madness that there is a huge amount of work that Alstom could and should be bidding for but the government has not got around to tendering for it.
“The government and Alstom should both be bending over backwards to keep hold of these highly skilled workers and this strategically vital and unique site. Unite will leave no stone unturned in its campaign to secure these jobs.”
