Job cuts on the line at Jarvis

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Railway engineering firm Jarvis plc has announced plans to cut 450 jobs, following poor trading results for the first three months of the year and reduced spending by its largest customer, Network Rail.   Executive chairman Steven Norris said: ÔÇ£It has been a painful process to absorb the impact of Network RailÔÇÖs sudden reduction in workload, but I am confident that by taking the necessary steps early the company can look forward to improved work volumes in 2010 and beyond.ÔÇØ   York-based Jarvis employs 4,000 people around the UK in the rail, plant, freight and facilities management sectors. Its underperforming rail arm and loss-making freight container operation (which is being closed down) are the main cause of the decline in trading. The companyÔÇÖs coal haulage business continues to trade in line with expectations.   Jarvis last week blamed continued poor demand for its decision to shut the container services operation, which launched in 2006 and operated between Thamesport on the Isle of Grain and Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and Birch Coppice, Birmingham.   Jarvis, which has 80 depots across the UK, is in consultation with unions over the cuts and gave no further details on affected sites.   *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *