Dockyard to axe up to 600 jobs

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Officials said the cuts by Babcock Marine at the Devonport yard in Plymouth would be a "big blow" to the local economy.

Del Northcott, an official of the Prospect union, said managers had briefed staff representatives about employment plans for the coming year.

"We were told there will be a surplus of up to 600 jobs, although the exact figure will not be known until the summer.

"Babcock has promised to consult with unions to try to avoid any compulsory redundancies. This will be a big blow because Devonport is the biggest employer in Plymouth."

Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary of Unite, said: "This is a body blow for a city which has already suffered cuts in defence work."

Babcock, which employs more than 4,000 people, bought the yard from Devonport Management Limited (DML) last year. Unions have been expecting job losses for the past two years because of a predicted downturn in submarine work.

The dockyard, which dates back to 1691, maintains nuclear submarines and other naval ships.

Unite national officer, Bernie Hamilton said: "Unite has been aware of a downturn in work at Babcock for some time, as advancements in technology have reduced the amount of repair work across the industry.

"The union is urging the company to end the use of contractors in order to mitigate the number of job losses amongst the skilled permanent staff. Unite will oppose any compulsory redundancies."