The news that 200 jobs were to go at Laing O’Rourke comes only weeks after the company announced it was to sell its successful Australian arm as part of an overhaul of its business processes. In a bid to win more work while delivering a better overall service, Laing O’Rourke has begun discussions with staff over redundancies in order to help it “establish a more competitive business structure across its UK operation” while “ensuring its project delivery teams are supported by a leaner and more operationally-focused functional overhead”.

The news is unsurprising given the revelation in its publicised financial results for the year up to March 2015 reporting a £53m loss. The company cited “cost inflation and delays” on its UK contracts.

On announcing “circa 200 redundancies” the company said its overhaul “will result in a reduction in the number of employee roles in its support functions and a streamlining of its regional office network.”

Certainly, Ray O’Rourke, group executive chairman, was guarded as he looked to the future. He said following the announcement of last year’s losses, “Laing O’Rourke will be highly selective in pursuing opportunities that align with our value proposition. We will focus on our engineering and manufacturing capabilities. We will create certainty for our customers from the earliest engagement.”