Aerospace giant Rolls-Royce, which has a base in Filton, will cut at least 9,000 jobs after the aviation industry was hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.
It said it expects the job losses from its global workforce of 52,000 as part of a “major reorganisation” of the business to adapt to a fall in demand.
The company said the cuts could result in £700 million in savings towards an overall aim of £1.3 billion in annual savings.
It said it will also cut spending across its plant, property and other areas to strengthen its finances.
The news this morning comes weeks after a leaked report on the restructuring at the company hinted at the job losses - but the firm would not comment on the numbers at the time.
It would also not say if workers at Filton would be impacted.
Workers union Unite had called on Rolls-Royce and other manufacturers to “step back from drastic short-term responses”
Today, Warren East, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, said: “This is not a crisis of our making. But it is the crisis that we face and we must deal with it.
“Our airline customers and airframe partners are having to adapt and so must we.
“Being told that there is no longer a job for you is a terrible prospect and it is especially hard when all of us take so much pride in working for Rolls-Royce.
“But we must take difficult decisions to see our business through these unprecedented times.”
