Engineering news
Rolls-Royce's Inchinnan factory
Rolls-Royce is to cut about 200 jobs at its aerospace factory in Inchinn, Renfrewshire, the company has announced.
The engineering giant said a drop in workload, due to the completion of a planned transfer of work and a review of operational effectiveness in some of its supply chain manufacturing operations, had resulted in the proposed cuts.
Challenging market conditions have meant limited opportunities to bring in new work, the company added.
The site, which manufactures aerofoils for plane engines, currently employs 1,000 people. The cuts are being sought in the seals manufacturing department and will be phased throughout 2014.
The company said it would seek to avoid compulsory redundancies where possible.
The announcement follows a decision to close Rolls-Royce's East Kilbride plant next year and transfer production to Inchinnan.
Chris Cholerton, executive vice-president of the company's compressor components arm, said: "We need to ensure our business remains competitive and has the right scale for today's market and workload.
"It is never an easy decision to propose reductions in our workforce, but it is a sign of the increasingly competitive market in which we operate that such actions are necessary.
"We have invested over £85 million at Inchinnan to make it a state of the art facility and are continuing to transfer our operations from East Kilbride to maximise efficiency. This will ensure we remain competitive and are best placed for any opportunities that may appear in the future."
The Unite union said it was "dismayed" at the decision and was meeting with the company.
Meanwhile, Jim Sheridan, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said: "I am disappointed that management at Rolls-Royce have made this decision and I will be pressing for the reasons behind these redundancies as I believe that the workers are entitled to this information. Having spoken with a company representative I am aware that the firm is hoping to avoid compulsory redundancies and I hope they can achieve this."