BOSSES at Delphi Diesel Systems, Courteney Road, Gillingham, are to cut 180 jobs from their 1,400-strong workforce.

Senior executives blame a fall in orders and claim that "a significant number" of the multinational company's staff are expected to choose early retirement. Employees, believed to be mostly production workers, will also be offered voluntary redundancy.

Of the 180 jobs lost, 150 will be hourly paid and 30 salaried employees. Amicus Trade Union representatives said the job cuts announcement "has not gone down very well - it came as a bit of a shock but was not altogether surprising”.

The Union says consultation with the company has already started and efforts would be made to save as many jobs as possible.

Delphi's Gillingham site has been manufacturing rotary diesel pumps for the past 30 years. But demand for them has fallen because of a marked increase in high technology and a need for low emissions.

Substantial investment in high technology manufacturing processes and trained staff was made and Delphi introduced three new products -- but the measures were insufficient to keep all 1,400 staff at Courteney Road.