BKS JOBS TO GO

Yesterday Fugro-BKS Limited confirmed it is proposing to cut its workforce by around 20%.

The Ballycairn firm, which employs 72 people, said that the move is a direct consequence of the global recession and its impact on the UK and Irish economies.

A company statement said: “This is a very regrettable situation that has arisen because of the spending cuts by many of the company’s public sector clients, which have reduced the company’s turnover and left it in a position where it has no choice but to reduce its costs to a level that will be sustainable going forward.

“Over the coming days the company will be embarking on a process of consultation with its workforce in order to manage this difficult process in a way that minimises the uncertainty and concerns that staff will inevitably feel in any redundancy situation.

“The company will be offering voluntary redundancies to staff in the hope that voluntary redundancies can reduce the number of compulsory redundancies required.

“The Board of Directors recognises the pain and difficulty that this may cause the affected employees and has only taken this difficult decision as a last resort.”

In March last year the digital mapping business announced a 15% reduction in workforce equating to around 15 jobs.

Yesterday’s statement added: “The Board has been forced to take this step in response to the current economic downturn and the shortening work programmes faced by the company.

“Despite the redundancies, the company will maintain its capability to manage large mapping projects and will continue to invest for the future.

“Fugro NV remains committed to the future of Fugro-BKS as a centre of excellence and source of expertise and specialist technical knowledge within its geospatial business-line.

BKS Surveys Limited was established in Leatherhead in 1956 and has been based in Coleraine since 1962.

In 2008 the company was acquired by Fugro NV and changed its name to Fugro-BKS Limited

Fugro-BKS provides aerial and ground survey services to a variety of clients, both domestically and internationally and is widely recognised within the industry as a quality provider of geospatial data.