Rolls-Royce workers are to march on Westminster to lobby MPs amid fears that 90 jobs are about to be axed from its Barnoldswick plant.

Management have confirmed the possible job losses to Pendle MP Gordon Prentice, despite record order books and he is now demanding an explanation for the "inexplicable" threat of redundancies.

The Pendle Labour backbencher will meet shop stewards and others from the Barnoldswick plant as part of a lobby of MPs by Rolls-Royce workers at Parliament tomorrow.

When the cuts were announced last month, AEEU works convenor John Boardman expressed outrage at the move. He said: "I think it is fair to say people here are disgusted by this. We have been told that jobs couldgo unless cost savings are made in other ways such as reducing overtime payments and introducing new working patterns."

Mr Boardman said 52 workers recently left the plant, which employs more than 1,200 people, through voluntary severance.

Chief Executive John Rose has written to Mr Prentice admitting: "Our continuing success depends on our ability to turn our order book into improved profitability to sustain the levels of investment to maintain our competitiveness.

"Some of the improvements in productivity will involve changes in individual roles and some reduction in the numbers of people employed; there is also a need to recruit some specialist skills.

"At Barnoldswick, we have announced potential job losses of 90 in our Fan Systems business and there has been continuing consultation with the trade unions to help minimise the particular impact of some deferments in customer delivery requirements."

Mr Prentice said: "Rolls-Royce is a big employer in Pendle and it is doing very well. People find it quite inexplicable why jobs are threatened."

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