Workers at two Rolls-Royce factories in the United Kingdom will go on strike after jobs were cut and some of the production work was relocated to Singapore.

Back in June 2020, Rolls-Royce announced that it would cut 3,000 jobs across the UK, partly due to decline in air travel because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company manufactures jet engines.

In August, it announced that its two plants in Barnoldswick, Lancashire would merge, resulting in a loss of 350 jobs.

It will halt production of wide chord fan blades for new jet engines at its Bankfield site in Barnoldswick, and move the work to Singapore by 2023.

Strike

Since this relocation plan was announced, Rolls-Royce has met with opposition from both union members and the wider community. A petition calling for the reversal of their plans had attracted more than 6,800 signatures.

The BBC reported on Oct. 27 that according to the Unite union, its members would go on strike for three weeks, starting on Nov. 6.

Unite is one of the biggest unions in the UK, with 1.4 million members.

The union said it would not allow the company to "destroy the viability of the site without a fight".

BBC quoted Unite regional officer Ross Quinn, who said the union had "given Rolls-Royce every opportunity to change its plans" and commit to the "long-term future" of the sites.

A Rolls-Royce spokesman said its employees needed to work "with us, not against us", and that while it was disappointed to learn of the industrial action, it remains committed to "meaningful consultation."

On Oct. 26, Financial Times reported that as part of further cost-cutting measures, Rolls-Royce will temporarily close factories, reduce working hours and cut benefits.

Related

We deliver more stories to you on LinkedIn

Top image from Getty Images.