Shipyard unions issue strike threat

Union leaders and management have been meeting

Union leaders battling to stem the loss of more than 1,000 shipyard jobs have refused to rule out the possibility of industrial action.

BAE Systems managers spent six hours in talks with union leaders on Wednesday to discuss the firm's plan to cut jobs at its Govan and Scotstoun yards in Glasgow.

The unions said they will keep talking to BAE chiefs to prevent the introduction of any compulsory redundancies, but they have warned strikes could be used as a last resort.

But company chiefs said there can be no going back on the decision which will see the loss of one third of the total workforce, despite the prospect of work on six Royal Navy ships.

Mass meetings have been postponed

The crisis talks between the two sides were described as "frank discussions" and more meetings are planned in the coming days.

They failed to agree on the way forward but have agreed to future consultation.

The Ministry of Defence contracts are not due to start until 2003 and the company insists there is a serious shortfall in its short-term workload.

The BBC has learned that 750 manual workers and 250 staff will be made redundant under the company's plans.

The majority of those losses are thought likely to come from the Scotstoun facility.

Mass meetings planned for the yards on Wednesday afternoon have been cancelled and will now be held on Thursday morning.

The possibility of industrial action will be considered at those meetings.

'Anger among workers'

Danny Carrigan, national officer of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union, who met BAE managers, said a campaign of industrial action will be considered.

He said: "Our members are incensed by the number of redundancies and blame the company rather than the government."

The Scottish Executive said First Minister Henry McLeish and Scottish enterprise minister Wendy Alexander had spent all day in talks with union officials and management at the Clyde shipyards.

A spokesman said Mr McLeish had sought further guarantees from BAE on the short-term future of the workers.

The spokesman added: "There is obviously anger among the workers and ministers want to work as part of a team to overcome these short-term difficulties and move towards a more secure future."