Aerospace manufacturer to move jobs north
More than 60 jobs could be created at Radius Aerospace in Sheffield after the firm announced plans to shut its precision operations in Shrewsbury.
The business which manufactures aircraft parts, is said to have made the decision following a collapse in orders of Rolls Royce Trent engine parts because of the pandemic.
A statement from Radius said: “Having spent considerable time reviewing the long-term strategic direction of Radius UK, it is now clear that the precision business unit is no longer viable as part of the Shrewsbury site, and to maintain the remaining orderbook I am proposing to move it in its entirety to the Radius Bramah site in Sheffield.
“This move will enable the precision facility to make a positive contribution to the overall performance of Radius UK, but more importantly provide the Shrewsbury site with the opportunity to increase its profitability by concentrating on the current fabrications and MRO business units.”
Nation union Unit,e which has previously called on the Government to protect the aerospace supply chain and aid its post Covid recovery by adapting the furlough scheme for short time working, described the move as a “hammer blow” and that it would explore all avenues to prevent the work moving to Sheffield.
Unite’s national officer for aerospace Rhys McCarthy said: “If these plans go ahead the first redundancies will be made on the day that furlough ends – a date that no doubt will see many other aerospace jobs go.
“So much has been done to protect vital jobs like these, yet the government now seems content to let them fall off a cliff on 30 September. This doesn’t make economic sense, particularly given how successful UK aerospace has been and how much it has contributed to the UK economy.
“Industries like aerospace and aviation have been hardest hit by the pandemic and the government’s ongoing travel restrictions – they need continuing help recovering from the aftermath.
“It is crucial that furlough is adapted at the end of September for short time working and other measures to prevent needless job losses in sectors such as aerospace that need more time to recover.”
Radius Aerospace became the new name for the aerospace and fabricating arm of Doncasters Group after it was acquired by US private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners in 2019.
