BAE Systems to close Yorkshire factory

JOBS at defence giant BAE Systems in Yorkshire are to go as part of cuts in its combat vehicles and weapons unit.

BAE Systems is closing three factories, including one in Leeds, with the loss of 330 jobs.

A total of 500 jobs are to be lost across a number of sites including Guildford, Telford, Barrow and Newcastle.

BAE said about 100 roles from the three factories that will close by the end of this year will be transferred to its sites in Leicester and Newcastle.

All the affected sites are in the company’s Global Combat Systems (GCS) Vehicles and Weapons businesses, which currently employ 1,820 people in the UK.

BAE said the “transformation programme” was taking place because of reduced work relating to military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

David Allott, Global Combat Systems’ managing director, said: “While we clearly regret having to take this step, our forecast UK order intake has reduced and we have to match the size of our business appropriately to the projected nature and volume of workload.”
 
The cuts follow 200 job losses announced in the same BAE business last November.
 
Mr Allott added: “We will seek to minimise the impact of these changes on employees affected by this announcement through a range of measures, including transfer to other parts of the business and retraining where possible.”