Atomic Weapons Establishment meets Prospect over 500 job cuts

Jobs are expected to go at Aldermaston, said the Prospect union

Union leaders have met Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) bosses to discuss 500 redundancies announced last week.

Prospect, the main trade union representing AWE staff, said it hoped to find out about the job areas affected.

AWE makes Britain's Trident nuclear warheads and also stores nuclear waste from Royal Navy submarines.

The company said the job losses were part of plans focused "on improving and streamlining ways of working".

As well as two sites in Burghfield and Aldermaston in Berkshire, AWE has facilities in Blacknest, Berkshire, and Coulport in Scotland.

Prospect negotiator Richard Tabbner said the meeting at 14:00 BST was to get "an understanding of the affected areas and to ensure that the employer knows that we will be scrutinising every proposed job cut and examining the business case for making so many people redundant across the sites".

The union will now discuss redundancies at the branch committee and decide on a position.

AWE said previously in a statement: "While the company is committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies where possible, a reduction of roles in some areas and an increase in others is required to ensure long-term efficiencies while meeting overall programme requirements."

AWE Management Limited is a consortium of Serco Group plc, the Lockheed Martin Corporation and Jacobs Engineering Group.