JOBS are to go at Hunterston A as part of a restructuring exercise by nuclear decommissioning company Magnox.

Up to 1,600 jobs will be lost across 12 UK site with between 40 and 50 jobs axed at the redundant Hunterston nuclear reactor from a total workforce of 240.

A statement from Magnox said: “Staff numbers at the 12 sites operated by Magnox Ltd have been declining for a number of years as progress is made on the decommissioning programmes.

“This announcement sets out plans to reduce workforce numbers by between 1400 to 1600 over the next 17 months.

“The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has been assured that efforts will be undertaken to mitigate the impact of any job losses through an emphasis on voluntary redundancy, reskilling and the potential for alternative employment in Magnox Limited’s parent companies, Cavendish Nuclear and Fluor Corporation.” The union representing workers at Hunterston A, the GMB, will be seeking talks with Magnox to discuss the job losses and what they regard as a lack of progress on nuclear new build.

Gary Smith, national secretary for energy for the GMB union said: “It was always envisaged that many of these workers would be moving over to the nuclear new build sites as the work on decommissioning and clean-up is finished.

“Disarray in the nuclear sector is leading to delays and now Hinkley Point C is being held up.

“GMB consider that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority should be re-tasked and renamed the Nuclear Development Authority to get momentum on behalf of the UKstate into the much-0needed new build rather than relying on the French and Chinese states to do the job for us.

“GMB also has concerns that these job losses are the thin edge of the wedge when more job losses will follow the now expected Tory cuts the NDA budget next month.

“This is likely to lead to local people not getting the decommissioning they were promised.

“It is also a false economy as putting off the promised clean-up will make completing the work more expensive in the long run.“ JOBS are to go at Hunterston A as part of a restructuring exercise by nuclear decommissioning company Magnox.

Up to 1,600 jobs will be lost across 12 UK site with between 40 and 50 jobs axed at the redundant Hunterston nuclear reactor from a total workforce of 240.

A statement from Magnox said: “Staff numbers at the 12 sites operated by Magnox Ltd have been declining for a number of years as progress is made on the decommissioning programmes.

“This announcement sets out plans to reduce workforce numbers by between 1400 to 1600 over the next 17 months.

“The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has been assured that efforts will be undertaken to mitigate the impact of any job losses through an emphasis on voluntary redundancy, reskilling and the potential for alternative employment in Magnox Limited’s parent companies, Cavendish Nuclear and Fluor Corporation.” The union representing workers at Hunterston A, the GMB, will be seeking talks with Magnox to discuss the job losses and what they regard as a lack of progress on nuclear new build.

Gary Smith, national secretary for energy for the GMB union said: “It was always envisaged that many of these workers would be moving over to the nuclear new build sites as the work on decommissioning and clean-up is finished.

“Disarray in the nuclear sector is leading to delays and now Hinkley Point C is being held up.

“GMB consider that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority should be re-tasked and renamed the Nuclear Development Authority to get momentum on behalf of the UKstate into the much-0needed new build rather than relying on the French and Chinese states to do the job for us.

“GMB also has concerns that these job losses are the thin edge of the wedge when more job losses will follow the now expected Tory cuts the NDA budget next month.

“This is likely to lead to local people not getting the decommissioning they were promised.

“It is also a false economy as putting off the promised clean-up will make completing the work more expensive in the long run.“