Union pressure forces Rolls-Royce to delay Inchinnan jobs axe bid

The company employs more than 1,300 at the Inchinnan factory, which manufactures compressor blades and seals for planes.

Plans to axe hundreds of jobs at Rolls-Royce in Inchinnan have been put on hold after unions forced a last-minute delay.

Management at the plant were due to outline the company’s plans for the workforce late last week.

Despite the brief respite, fears remain that the maintenance repair and overhaul part of the business could still be under threat, with 600 direct jobs potentially facing the axe and question marks remaining over the rest.

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The company employs more than 1,300 at the Inchinnan factory, which manufactures compressor blades and seals for planes.

Last week it announced it was proposing to axe at least 9,000 jobs globally.

Most of these are expected to come from the civil aerospace business, but bosses have not confirmed which specific UK sites will be affected.

MP Gavin Newlands, whose Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency covers the plant, said it was time for management to treat workers with respect and get around the table to find a resolution for all.

Gavin said: “The Rolls-Royce Inchinnan workforce is seen as a benchmark for quality, flexibility and efficiency within the company and in the global marketplace.

“The Scottish Government have made it clear they are ready to work with management and trade unions to support the retention of all work at Inchinnan and that offer remains open for all.

“Unions and workers are not daft – they understand the economic situation we’re in and the particular challenges faced by the aerospace industry, and they know that change is inevitable, at least for the foreseeable future.

“But they also understand the high-skill, high-value production they’ve delivered over the years for Rolls-Royce, and they deserve to be a part of the planning for Inchinnan’s future.

“From my conversations with union reps, there is a real willingness to work with management and protect production at the site.

“It’s not too late for the company to get back to the drawing board and have an honest discussion with trade unions and workers who understand better than anyone the challenges their industry faces and the action required to sustain a world-leading production site with a world-leading workforce.”

Labour MSP Neil Bibby quizzed Nicola Sturgeon, left, on her support for workers during First Minister’s questions last week.

He said: “If jobs go at Rolls-Royce, workers fear they may never return.

I welcomed the update from the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, but will the First Minister outline what steps the Scottish Government can take to prevent those job losses and to ensure that Inchinnan workers benefit from the economic recovery when it comes?

“Does she agree that there must be strategic investment in the sector to save jobs and to prevent irreparable damage to the Scottish economy?”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon replied saying she sympathised with what Mr Bibby was saying.

She said: “I agree with that, and I agree and sympathise with the general sentiment of the question

“As I know that Neil Bibby is aware, we are actively engaging with Rolls-Royce to try to minimise any redundancies and to do everything that we can to secure the company’s continued presence.

“Rolls-Royce is important for its own sake in relation to the employment that is dependent upon it, but it is also important because of a wider strategic interest in relation to our manufacturing footprint.

“We therefore see the situation very much in that strategic context as well as from the perspective of the individuals who work at Rolls-Royce.

“We will continue to keep Neil Bibby and other members updated as those discussions continue.

“We will do everything that we can to secure the outcomes that I am sure he will want us to secure.”