Babcock Rosyth to cut further 150 jobs

Two aircraft carriers were built in sections and assembled at the Babcock yard in Rosyth

About 150 more jobs are to be lost at the Babcock dockyard in Rosyth in Fife.

It was announced in November that around 250 jobs would be going at the site as its contract to build two Royal Navy aircraft carriers neared completion.

The additional posts are to be cut after the firm spent months reviewing its operations.

Babcock said it would now work with trade unions and those affected throughout the consultation process.

A spokesman for the company said: "Following a review of our current business structure we have decided to combine our energy and marine operations on site into one cohesive team to optimise performance of our current projects and maximise future opportunities.

"Regrettably in doing this we will reduce our management and support functions by around 150 positions.

"The prospects for Babcock's operations at Rosyth continue to be good and we remain totally committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our workforce that supports both our current and future operational needs."

When it revealed job losses in November, the firm said the end of a 10-year programme of works for the Ministry of Defence had led to it having to restructure.

The £6.2bn Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carrier programme saw the construction of the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales across seven sites, before final works at Rosyth.

Local MSP Annabelle Ewing said she was disappointed by the decision and expressed her hope that Babcock would look at measures to avoid compulsory redundancies and investigate the potential for relocation elsewhere in the company.

She said: "This announcement comes in addition to the 250 job losses that were announced in November as a consequence of the slow-down of the aircraft carrier programme.

"As the carrier programme comes to an end, there is the real prospect of further job losses so I want to know what the Ministry of Defence can offer in terms of opportunities to bring more work to Rosyth and ensure that these skills are retained in our community.

"Obviously, even after this announcement, Babcock remains an extremely important employer in my constituency and I am hopeful that new contracts lie ahead that will see significant employment secured at Rosyth well into the future."