There was devastation in Perthshire as Vector Aerospace announced plans to cut dozens of jobs at its flagship plant in Almondbank.
Around 10% of the 300-strong workforce is set to be slashed during what has been termed a “restructuring.”
A spokesman said that a “layer of management” would be eradicated, along with a number of support and administration posts.
The former Defence Aviation Repair Agency site was sold to the Vector Aerospace Corporation in April 2008.
The plant specialises in the repair, overhaul and testing of aerospace components and supports the UK’s three main military helicopter fleets, Chinook, Lynx and Sea King, as well as Tornado jets.
It is envisaged that 30 jobs will go as a result of Tuesday’s announcement.
Furious politicians criticised the move, pointing out that it comes just four weeks after the company issued assurances over the future of threatened jobs.
Perth MSP Roseanna Cunningham said she will raise the issue with Vector this week. She said, “First and foremost, of course, I am concerned for the 30 people who face losing their jobs.
“I hope that every effort will be made by Vector to assist them in securing alternative employment. I am disappointed and extremely angry about this announcement.
“It is almost exactly a month since Vector issued a release welcoming a number of follow-on contracts that ensured threatened jobs were now secure and only a fortnight before that (components director) Ian Burnett had given me an assurance that any concerns about job losses at Almondbank were unfounded speculation.
“After that I thought it was time to have a face-to-face meeting with Mr Burnett, and (Perth and North Perthshire MP) Pete Wishart and I are scheduled to meet with him on Thursday. This news will certainly dominate the agenda in that meeting.
“The Almondbank facility is extremely important to the local economy as a provider of highly skilled engineering jobs and before it was sold off to the private sector I always had an honest and open relationship with the management team there. I would very much like to be able to say that was still true.”
Mr Wishart said, “Many of those who work at Almondbank are constituents of mine so I am very concerned by today’s news.
“The recession is clearly biting hard in all sectors but I fear that selling off Almondbank is going to prove to have been a very costly mistake indeed.
“Those of my constituents who have lost their jobs can be certain that I will have some tough questions for Mr Burnett when Roseanna and I meet with him on Thursday.”
Perth and Kinross Council leader Ian Miller called the news “disappointing” but insisted the council would work with Vector.
He said, “The economic output generated to the local area by the facility is estimated to be around £23 million, and so it is vitally important for the region.
“We hope these changes will allow for the future stability of the company, and as a council we will continue to work with Vector for the good of the area in whatever way we can.”
Mr Burnett said the firm is “fully committed” to Almondbank, adding, “Naturally we regret any loss of jobs here at Almondbank but we must shape our business to be as lean and flexible as possible.”