British aerospace and defence giant BAE Systems on Thursday announced plans to axe almost 1,400 jobs at 13 sites across Britain in part due to falling workload. "The job losses are part of a previously identified year-planning round to match workload with capacity. It also takes into account anticipated orders," a company spokesman said. The cuts, to be carried out by the end of 2005, would hit four of the company's businesses, BAE said.
A total 335 jobs would be cut in Chadderton, near Manchester in north-west England, due to the closure of BAE's defence repairs business, the spokesman said.
BAE said its avionics business, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft, would cut 430 jobs at four sites: Edinburgh as well as Southampton, Basildon and Luton in southern England.
The land and naval radar business AMS, which BAE runs as a joint venture with an Italian firm, would cut 340 jobs.
The platform solutions business would cut 290 jobs, including 230 at Rochester in southern England and 30 in Edinburgh.