Last updated 08:53, Monday, 01 September 2008

GLAXO workers being made redundant could find new jobs at the expanding shipyard, hopes a union boss.

TIMES OF CHANGE: The GlaxoSmithKline site in Ulverston. Union leaders, including John Clough of Unite (right), believe workers being made redundant from the drugs plant could find work at BAE

Recruit hungry BAE confirmed it is liaising with the management and unions at Glaxo to see if some of those leaving want shipyard jobs and have suitable skills.

Glaxo is axing 330 jobs from its workforce of 540 in a bid to keep the costs of its life saving antibiotics competitive now they are out of patent protection.

By the end of the year 100 jobs will have gone with 50 more early next year and the rest by the start of 2010.

John Clough, senior site representative for the Unite trades union, said it was likely that some of those losing their jobs at the North Lonsdale Road factory would be looking to sites like BAE Systems and Sellafield as sources for new jobs. Many are skilled craftsmen.

The shipyard is looking for around 350 more people across many trades.

Mr Clough said: “A lot of the people in process come from that sort of background.

“Hopefully we can get them out of here with a good redundancy package and the hope of a well paid job at the end of it as well.”

Around 180 Glaxo workers have so far volunteered for the drug group’s generous redundancy package, many of them skilled workers.

Glaxo has still to agree if it can do without particular individuals before it offers them voluntary redundancy.

Mr Clough said: “A lot of them are just interested in getting a secure future and I don’t blame them.

“I hope as many of them as possible can go on and get a job at BAE or Sellafield or wherever.

“We are in a little bit of a boom with regard to employment in this area, which is great.”

BAE Systems’ human resources manager Graham Hempsall said: “As a company we have already offered our support to Glaxo and those affected by the redundancies.

“Through dialogue between ourselves and the trade unions at Glaxo, we have suggested staging a recruitment roadshow to advertise our current vacancies.

“Many of those to be made redundant have also worked for us in the past, so as part of our own recruitment challenge we are always interested in people who could improve the business.”

The shipyard might also get applications from Acrastyle in Ulverston where 28 jobs are being scrapped because of a downturn.