Trident renewal delay threatens hundreds of jobs in Derby, union claims

A UNION has claimed hundreds of jobs in Derby could be put at risk if the renewal of the country's Trident nuclear deterrent is delayed.

Chancellor George Osborne said yesterday the full £20 billion cost of renewing Trident must be paid by the Ministry of Defence.

Traditionally, the Treasury has always found the money for the submarines, for which Rolls-Royce's marine division in Derby supplies nuclear reactors.

But the MoD is already having to contemplate budget cuts of between 10 and 20 per cent, which has put into question whether the department will be able to afford renewing Trident.

Critics claim Trident is too expensive and there have been calls to either scrap the nuclear deterrent or switch to a cheaper land-based missile system.

But the Unite union has warned that if Trident is not renewed soon then 13,000 jobs could be lost, including about 1,400 at Rolls-Royce's Marine Power Operations site in Raynesway.

Bernie Hamilton, Unite's national officer for aerospace and shipbuilding, said: "Up to 13,000 jobs could be at risk if Trident is delayed and any lengthy delay will mean that Britain is in danger of losing the skills and ability to build such submarines."

As well as Derby, Unite said jobs could go at Barrow, where the submarines are built, Plymouth, where the subs are refitted and repaired, and Faslane, Scotland, where they are based.

Yesterday, Rolls-Royce declined to comment on Unite's claims over jobs.

In its half-year results released this week, Rolls-Royce chief executive Sir John Rose singled out the firm's marine division for its "strong trading performance", adding that underlying profits for the full year were expected to be higher than 2009.