Future at risk as Daresbury sacrifices hundreds of jobs

Jan 4 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

A CULL of hi-tech North West science jobs will create one of the most significant brain drains ever from the region, the Daily Post can reveal.

The cutting edge Daresbury Laboratory, in Cheshire, which researches the molecular properties of matter, will shed more than 350 jobs by April, 2009.

Industry insiders fear the downsize could hamper chances of the site successfully bidding for private investment and government research contracts.

Daresbury – the largest government-funded laboratory in the North West – is the hardest hit of three public units run by the Science and Technology Facilities Council [STFC] in the UK.

The STFC is shedding 600 science jobs nationwide to cut costs.

The outfit received a 13.6% increase in funds in November’s Comprehensive Spending Review but found itself £80M worse off than it had expected and a 2008-2011 budget – passed by ministers in December – reflected this.

The cuts mean the current Daresbury staff of more than 500 will be reduced to 140.

Last night, union representatives at the laboratories Gary Murray and Graham Clark said it was a “massive blow to the North West knowledge economy”.

Mr Murray has worked at the site’s sales contracts department for 28 years and represents the TGW-Unite union there.

He said: “It’s been demoralising to say the least – I don’t think that it’s really hit everybody yet.”

Both Unite and scientists’ union Prospect say they will focus on safeguarding the site’s future and saving as many jobs as possible.

Staff at Daresbury met with management soon after the STFC budget was finalised.

Although they knew job cuts were possible, they did not know how many or who would be asked to go.

And because the announcement was made via e-mail, it is possible many staff still enjoying their Christmas breaks are unaware of what is in store for the new year.

All STFC staff were emailed on Wednesday inviting them to apply for voluntary redundancy. Job losses, the e-mail said, would be across all departments.

Staff were asked to volunteer by January 25 so that as many redundancies as possible could go through in the current financial year ending March 31.

A redundancy programme was already under way at Daresbury due to the closure of its Synchtron Radiation Source particle accelerator.

But, because the 80 staff who needed to volunteer had not come forward, the council will be demanding compulsory redundancies.

Daresbury currently employs around a quarter of the total STFC staff. The site is being asked to find more than half the nationwide redundancies.

Scientists there were hoping to be selected to host a new £150m fourth generation light source, which would have secured jobs at the site.

But plans have been shelved since it was announced Daresbury would have to bid against rival teams.

The site was also earmarked to be an international science campus, attracting global private investment.

A leading industry spokesperson now doubts whether that plan will materialise.

Daresbury’s STFC spokesman Tony Buckley said: “Large parts of the site will remain under STFC control.”

benschofield