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This week's business round up
Nissan's New Deal staff
Car manufacturer Nissan will use New Deal recruits to build the Micra in Sunderland. One of the biggest employers in the North East, Nissan will use the New Deal 25-plus programme to build the new model, which is due out next year. Train companies have backed the scheme, offering half-price vouchers to allow them to have affordable transport. Nissan managing director John Cushnaghan said, "The quality of the New Deal training programme means six out of 10 applicants are successful, compared with six out of 100 who have come from normal sources." www.dfee.gov.uk
Jobs axed at Eircom
Telecoms operator Eircom plans to cut 3,500 jobs by 2003, leaving a core workforce of 9,000. In the short term, Ireland's former state-owned company is to cut 320 jobs as part of a strategic review to focus on its Net service provider operations. Staffing levels will be cut by 200 in Ireland from its multimedia activities, with 40 jobs going in Northern Ireland and 80 in the UK. Eircom, sold its £2.2bn mobile phone business to Vodafone. www.eircom.com
Marconi redundancies
Marconi says 1,500 UK-based jobs may be axed within 12 months due to restructuring. The cuts are part of 3,000 world-wide redundancies will trim the telecoms firm's workforce to 55,000. The Manufacturing Science and Finance Union claims Marconi is sacrificing its skills base for a short-term share price gain. But Marconi plans to expand in the UK by opening centres of excellence, expected to create 3,000 jobs, within two years. www.marconi.com
