PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson met with Rolls-Royce officials yesterday after the firm announced it was axing 2,600 jobs nationwide.

The company, which employs around 1,000 people at its manufacturing sites in Bankfield and Ghyll Brow, Barnoldswick, said the move would eventually save it £80m per year.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Mr Stephenson said it was ‘too early’ to know the impact of the announcement on the town, but Rolls-Royce bosses confirmed the jobs would go ‘principally in our Aerospace division’.

Workers at the two sites, which make fan blades for a number of Trent engines and support structures for aircraft, were left shocked in April this year when 122 jobs were culled.

Conservative MP Mr Stephenson said he was ‘concerned’ by the announcement and met with Rolls-Royce representatives in Parliament yesterday afternoon.

He said: “I’m concerned and disappointed given that we’ve just had more than 100 jobs go six months ago. I’m disappointed that they have to go further. They tell me it’s too early really for specifics to do with Barnoldswick.

“You would think with the size of the order book and the profitability of a company like Rolls-Royce that this decision seems very short-termist.”

In a statement, John Rishton, Rolls-Royce’s chief executive officer, said: “We are taking determined management action and accelerating our progress on cost. The measures announced today will not be the last, however they will contribute towards Rolls-Royce becoming a stronger and more profitable company.

“We will work closely with employees and their representatives to achieve the necessary reductions on a voluntary basis where possible, while making sure we retain the skills needed for the future.”

The firm said the job losses were ‘part of an intensified programme to improve operational efficiency and reduce cost across the Group’ It added: “We anticipate these actions will result in incremental restructuring costs of around £120m over the next two years. We intend to accrue around half of these costs this year, subject to employee consultation.

We expect annualised cost benefits of around £80m when fully implemented.”