Shipbuilders at Navantia UK yards, including Harland & Wolff Belfast and Appledore in Devon, have welcomed Chief Executive Donato Martínez's promise of 600,000 additional UK build hours.
The company has assured workers in talks with trade unions that work reshuffled to Spain on Ship 1 will be offset by increased UK content on Ships 2 and 3.
Navantia have been criticised for the programme changes this week, but workers acknowledge that with the much welcome and long overdue infrastructure investments into their yards, some facilities would simply not be fully ready in time for the original schedule.
Trade unions campaigned for and welcomed Navantia UK's takeover of Harland & Wolff, which preserved all yards and jobs whilst securing the £1.6 billion contract for naval support ships in the UK. The company is also investing £115 million in infrastructure across its sites, something trade unions have long called for.
Matt Roberts, GMB National Officer, said:
“It’s obviously a shame that there is a need to adjust the programme, but unions have been assured that this will be a reshuffle only, and not an overall slide of work away from the UK.
“Our representatives and members are working with the new ownership and will be closely monitoring and supporting the situation.”
_The_Royal_Navy_destroyer_HMS_Dauntless_(D-33)_passes_the_UNITAS_flagship.jpg?width=400&height=320)