RAIL UNION RMT today pledged to fight plans which could potentially lead to the loss of 1600 jobs at the Glasgow-based rail division of engineering giant Babcock International.
The threatened job cuts have been directly linked to the deferral of nearly a third of Network Rail's track renewal programme this year.
In a profit statement yesterday, Babcock bosses confirmed that they are considering the possibility of closing the rail division, reducing it's size of selling it off. RMT warned that the job loss programme has already begun with over 260 jobs being axed in recent months.
The union has also pointed to the impact of the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link by the SNP administration in Scotland and a new wave of maintenance cutbacks being driven through by Network Rail.
Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said
"With today's unemployment figures showing a continuing rise the threat to 1600 engineering jobs at Babcock Rail is another massive potential body blow to UK industry.
"We need urgent government intervention to protect what's left of our industrial production capacity at companies like Babcock Rail and with the planned expansion and modernisation of the rail network the threat that any of these 1600 workers could end up thrown on the dole is madness."
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