Over 3000 shipyard workers on the Clyde are fearing for their jobs again as their boss resigned after only four month.
Murray Easton had only been in charge at Govan and Scotstoun since June 2002, but had made good progress with the unions when he challenged a BAE plan to axe 1000 jobs. In July, he promised there would be no more job losses on the Clyde.
Easton left at the end of last week after the completion of an internal restructuring review.
News of his resignation sparked union calls for reassurances that BAE remained committed to the future of the yards.
But Danny Carrigan, a spokesman for AEEU, said Easton had left because of an undermining of his position by senior management at the company's group HQ in England.
Last Saturday he told The Scotsman that "the review had developed a series of semi-autonomous business units at the yards with their own operation directors reporting directly to London rather than to Easton himself".
Carrigan added: "I think he is the type of guy who looked at it through all the bureaucracy and red tape and realised the new structure meant things wouldn't quite work out.
"It is a sad loss because Mr Easton is a shipbuilder through and through who understands the industry.
"We are now concerned that all his commitments to liase with unions on any changes to the staff's position will not be upheld."
Jim Moohan, chairman of the Confederation of Shipbuilders and Engineering Unions, added: "Any time there is restructuring it seems to be the employees who suffer.
"We'll seek talks with the company as we can ill-afford to lose any more jobs on the Clyde."
BAE is currently bidding for the Royal Navy's £3 billion order for two aircraft carriers.