Union fears loss of ‘vital skills and expertise’ from industry
Nuclear decommissioning consortium, Magnox, has said it will cut up to 1,600 jobs across 12 of its nuclear power sites by September 2016.
The reduction includes staff, agency and contract roles, a statement read.
“The mission to safely decommission the Magnox sites has always predicted reducing staff numbers over the coming years. Following a review of the requirements for delivering the closure programme, we now have more detail on the workforce profile required for the period up to September 2016.
“These proposed reductions arise from planned step downs in the work programme at a number of sites and the implementation of a more streamlined operating model for delivering decommissioning,” the company added.
Unite national officer for energy, Kevin Coyne, said the staff expected some redundancies, but not on this scale.
“It will lead to a loss of vital skills and expertise in the nuclear industry which could have an impact on new nuclear build,” he said.
“Our concern is that the decommissioning of these power stations will be slowed down with such a large reduction in the workforce and the skills that they possess.
“We question whether there will be enough available manpower to do this complex work in decommissioning in the future and we will be seeking assurances on this issue,” he added.
Magnox said the company would meet with the trade union and hold individual consultations with staff before the redundancies begin.
“We will seek wherever possible for these reductions to be through voluntary means and we will endeavour to re-train staff in roles where we are currently reliant on agency resources,” a spokesman for Magnox added.
“It is our intent to further mitigate the impact of these reductions by offering alternative roles in the wider Cavendish Nuclear/Fluor business and elsewhere through a number of existing mechanisms.”
Eleven of the Cavendish Nuclear/Fluor plants have already shut down and are in the process of being decommissioned. One site still in operation, Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales, is due to stop generating power at the end of the year.
Coyne said it was “shocking” news for the workers and their families, and the union would ensure Magnox lives up to its promise and campaign for no compulsory redundancies.