Airbus to cut more than 150 jobs at Portsmouth space base as part of Europe-wide restructure

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AEROSPACE giant Airbus has pledged to keep its Portsmouth site open - but is cutting more than 150 jobs in the city as part of a major restructure.

The company, with its headquarters in France, is losing more than 2,000 jobs across Europe as it faces continued challenges to its business. As reported in The News earlier this month, the restructure falls most heavily on its space business, which currently employs just under 1,000 people at Anchorage Park in Hilsea.

European aerospace giant Airbus is cutting more than 150 jobs in PortsmouthEuropean aerospace giant Airbus is cutting more than 150 jobs in Portsmouth
European aerospace giant Airbus is cutting more than 150 jobs in Portsmouth | Bloomberg via Getty Images

Unions have been told 154 jobs will be going at its Portsmouth operation, the second largest private sector employer in the city which pumps £400m into the local economy each year and supports 4,000 jobs across Hampshire. But they have been promised that none of the redundancies will be compulsory, with 30% of the losses being found in 2025 and 70% in 2026.

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Dave Black, the site representative for the Unite union, said they had been shocked by the size of the losses in the UK, which is taking a bigger percentage hit to its workforce than Airbus partner nations France and Germany. A further 260 losses are proposed at the company’s Stevenage site, he added.

‘We need to ensure we maintain the existing expertise and profitability at the Portsmouth site,’ said Mr Black. ‘We are looking forward with a positive mind but it is a concern if the size of the workforce falls below the level needed for the future to ensure we can continue the work we have and maintain the security of our satellite business.’

Mr Black said Unite would be keeping a ‘watching brief’ on the situation while they awaited more information. He said the union was hoping to meet with Minister for Defence Procurement Maria Eagles next month.

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An Airbus spokesman said: ‘There are no plans to close the Airbus Portsmouth site. The headcount adaptations will set us up better to respond to the complex business environment that much of our sector is struggling with across Europe. We aim to create a more efficient and agile organisational structure whilst protecting and growing our cutting-edge core in-house know-how.’

He added: ‘The reductions are driven by workload reductions and also the need to adapt in light of a continuing complex business environment. There are no plans for compulsory redundancies.

‘In addition, the number of jobs will also be reduced by moving those currently employed as temporary workers to work for subcontracting companies helping to mitigate any impact.’

Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt.Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt. | Chris Moorhouse

When news of the jobs threat broke, Portsmouth City Council leader Steve Pitt urged Airbus to think very carefully before making any decisions about its Portsmouth base and expressed his concern in an ‘urgent letter’ to the Government ministers.

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In reaction to the job losses he said: "Whilst it is with cautious relief that I welcome the news that Airbus are keeping their Portsmouth site open, losing over 150 skilled jobs will still be a blow to the city. What's more concerning is that if, as it seems, this is due to a reduced order book, these won't be the only jobs lost, as it will impact the supply chain across the wider area. I wrote to the government asking them to award a contract to Airbus because they were the only UK bidder and I reiterate that plea now."

Airbus was founded more than 50 years ago through a partnership between Britain, Germany, France and Spain. It revealed earlier this year that it would need to make cuts to enhance its competitiveness in the face of continued business challenges and to create ‘a more effective and efficient organisational structure’.

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