GE Caledonian in Prestwick has said 137 jobs are at risk from a new redundancy process which started yesterday.

Unite said government intervention is needed after GE announced further potential job losses at its plants in Scotland and Wales.

It said a total of 323 jobs have gone through a voluntary redundancy process including 150 in Scotland, and GE said there are 369 roles at Cardiff and 137 proposed redundancies in Prestwick in the round announced on Thursday.

READ MORE: Rolls-Royce cash-burn hits £3bn after world's airlines grounded

A GE spokesman said: “The proposals to reduce our workforce are due to the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 on the commercial aviation industry.

"We appreciate the commitment of all our employees during this difficult time and regret having to make these proposals. We remain focused on protecting the safety of our employees, continuing to serve our customers, and preserving our capability to respond as the industry recovers.”

Unite called for short to medium-term measures, such as short-term working, to support the sector, similar to those adopted by the UK’s economic competitors, France and Germany. 

Unite national officer for aerospace Rhys McCarthy said: “Rishi Sunak needs to have a light bulb moment and replicate the actions of our economic competitors, France and Germany, and put in place comprehensive measures, such as short-term working, to support world-class manufacturing companies, such as GE, Airbus and Rolls Royce, through the pandemic."