Aviation jobs at risk

The MoD is reviewing the maintenance operation

Hundreds of jobs in Scotland are among 4,000 under threat because the military wants to pull the plug on a major project.

Red Dragon seemed secure in February this year when the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (Dara) confirmed it would go ahead with a £77m aircraft maintenance centre at RAF Athan near Cardiff.

But a secret review by the MoD reveals that it could drop the project and repair planes at existing RAF bases.

The move would have serious implications for three other Dara sites, including one at Almondbank in Perth Scotland, where more than 300 people are employed.

Jack Dromey, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, (TGWU), which represents workers at the facilities, said the MoD move was extraordinary.

He said: "If this work goes then Red Dragon does not go ahead, if Red Dragon does not go ahead then St Athan closes and if St Athan closes then it will be a disaster for the other three sites - including Almondbank."

'Double dealing'

Dara, which employs 4,000, was set up in 1999 as one of the government's high-profile public-private partnerships.

Its future could only be guaranteed by Project Red Dragon, which included the building of the aerospace industry park at St Athan to include a "super-hanger" which would have 47 bays to allow work on military fast jets.

It was hoped that, once underpinned by the MoD contracts, civil aviation companies and other aviation businesses would use the services at St Athan, potentially creating further jobs.

Jack Dromey: "Extraordinary" move by the MoD

Mr Dromey said: "This is extraordinary, it is double dealing in the MoD, there are those in the MoD which do not want this work done by Dara and BAE Systems would love to rob Dara of its work.

"The end to end review should now be thrown into the bin and Dara workers should be let do their jobs.

"The defence minister Adam Ingram should rip up the review. Our members thought they were secure and now their future is in doubt."

And Mr Dromey had a direct message to workers in Perth: "Stand firm, rest assured that the union will do everything necessary to persuade the minister to act in the national interest to end this extraordinary double dealing in the MoD."

The MoD confirmed that a review was looking at a range of proposals for "streamlining" support services to the armed forces.

'Come clean'

A spokesman said: "The discussions which have been taking place as part of the review have taken account of Dara's future capability.

"Any discussions will be subject to consultations with the unions."

He added: "At this stage, nothing in detail has been agreed and nothing has yet been put to ministers on any aspect of proposals affecting Dara."

The Scottish National Party's MSP for Perth, Roseanna Cunningham, criticised the MoD for "not coming clean" about the possible threat to hundreds of jobs

She said: "It is outrageous that jobs in Scotland may be under threat even though the MoD promised that all positions were safe in February this year.

"If these jobs are lost it will be a devastating blow to the local community.

"It is totally unacceptable that the MoD is not prepared to release any concrete information until later in the year.

"They must come clean, and come clean now instead of leaving people hanging in the balance, waiting to see if their jobs are safe."