Westland makes Apache and Lynx helicopters

Derek Simpson, the general secretary of Amicus, met with union members and company chiefs at the Westland plant in Yeovil on Wednesday.

His visit came after news broke that an Italian firm could take over the UK's only military helicopter company.

An Amicus spokesman said the visit was not connected to speculation of a sale.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs says British group GKN, which owns half of AgustaWestland, may be close to selling its stake to Italian company Finmeccanica, which owns the other half.

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Westland and Agusta merged in 2000, creating a company with an order book totalling �5.33bn.

The Westland factory in Yeovil makes Lynx and Apache Helicopters.

In 2002, Westland's Weston-super-Mare plant closed, with the loss of 350 jobs.

Westland is exactly the kind of high tech and high skilled employer that we need to retain in the UK Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus

In June last year, the company's fortunes turned around with Westland Helicopters landing a contract with the Japanese Defence Agency worth more than �300m.

Mr Simpson used his visit to the Yeovil site to stress the future of the company depends on continued orders from the UK government.

"Westland is exactly the kind of high tech and high skilled employer that we need to retain in the UK," he said.