Amicus members protest on Brighton seafront. Enlarge Image

Staff from the Defence Aviation Repair Agency at RAF St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, posed next to a giant toilet stuffed with money.

They claim it represents how taxpayers' cash is being wasted by plans to switch jet repair work away from Wales. Last week around 200 protested in Cardiff.

The UK government has said the jobs move would mean better value for money.

Defence ministers have so far backed the MoD's aim to switch maintenance work on jet fighters away from Dara - a civilian arm of the MoD - to another RAF base, in Norfolk.

Workers fear plans to move jet repair work will close the base

Unions fear the �80m south Wales plant, which was officially opened in April and employs about 1,300 people, will be forced closed if the work transfer work goes ahead.

The demonstration at the Labour conference in Brighton was the latest protest by Dara workers, many of whom have already received "jobs at risk" notices.

Last week, more than 200 marched to the Welsh assembly building in Cardiff Bay as their union, Amicus, met First Minister Rhodri Morgan.

Harriers and Tornados

Dara workers and union officials then tore up a giant cheque for �80m.

However, on Sunday, a spokeswoman for Mr Morgan said he had discussed the future of Dara with Defence Secretary John Reid at the Labour conference.

She said the two men had a "positive discussion" in which the defence secretary had expressed concerned about the situation at the facility and said that he would look again at the matter.

More than 500 jobs have already gone at St Athan since Harrier and Tornado aircraft maintenance work was moved away.

Amicus has said it expected redundancy notices to be issued at St Athan this month.

Cath Speight, Welsh regional secretary of Amicus said: "The decision to run down a world class facility makes absolutely no economic, strategic or military sense."