1,000 more jobs at risk as gloom deepens

The jobs gloom engulfing the economy deepened today with almost 1,000 jobs being cut or at risk. South West Trains said it would axe 480 posts, while Anglesey Aluminium, which employs around 500 people, warned it expected to end smelting operations in September. South West Trains, which is owned by Stagecoach, said it faced "reduced passenger growth and an increasingly challenging economic climate". It said the job losses would include 480 management, administration and other roles. Train drivers, guards and front-line fleet maintenance staff would not be affected. "We are proposing to reduce the costs of our rail operation and make some changes to the way we manage our business, but we will continue to operate the same number of train services for our passengers," South West Trains said in a statement. Anglesey Aluminium said the threat of closure followed the failure to renew a power supply contract which runs out in September. Smelting aluminium is an energy intensive process, and the Anglesey plant is supplied from the nuclear facility at Wylfa, which is owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. David Bloor, managing director, said today today: "We have worked hard over many months in our efforts to extend the existing power contract beyond September of this year but have not yet been successful. "The operation is dependent for its power on the nearby Wylfa nuclear power station, which is itself due for closure within the next few years." Source: guardian.co.uk