220 jobs axed at submarine base

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Babcock Naval Services, which manages the base, said it hoped the cutback could be achieved through voluntary redundancies and not filling vacant posts.

The company blamed the job losses on a dip between the decommissioning of the Swiftsure class nuclear submarines and the introduction of new Astute submarines.

Managing director John Howie said: "We have known about the shortfall in workload for some time but, despite considerable efforts, we have not been able to find sufficient work to cover the period until we undertake mainstream work on the new submarines.

"We have been reluctant to reduce our workforce because we understand the impact on individuals and their families and on our local communities.

"We hope that compulsory redundancies will not be necessary."

More than 1,700 workers are employed by Babcock at Faslane and Coulport on submarine and surface ship maintenance.

Jim Moohan, of the GMB union, said: "Manufacturing at the base uses the skills, experience and knowledge of all the work that has to be done in this area.

"It took us a long time to accept the need for apprenticeship and other qualifications of individuals to ensure that the manufacturing base was competitive."