Westinghouse Savannah River Co., the private contractor that runs SRS for the Department of Energy, originally said it would announce 300 layoffs during the week of March 22.

The cuts didn't come then and weren't made this week because DOE is still reviewing the demographic breakdown of employees Westinghouse wants to release to ensure fairness, company spokesman Will Callicott said.

"I would say the process we're working in is unique to a government contract," Mr. Callicott said Friday.

"It is not necessarily how we would go about this if we were in a purely commercial environment, but we're not in a purely commercial environment."

Mr. Callicott, like most of the site's employees, said he wasn't privy to discussions between his company and DOE.

"There is a prescribed formula for how work force restructuring takes place within a DOE structure," Mr. Callicott said. "It is carried out by guidelines from DOE, and to some extent the Congress."

The government's continued review of the layoffs has fueled speculation that the cuts are being delayed by political officials who don't want to see them worsen employment figures during an election year.

Westinghouse officials estimate the average salary of employees who will be let go is between $65,000 and $70,000, far above South Carolina's average salary of $24,840.

A spokesman from Gov. Mark Sanford's office declined to discuss any efforts on the governor's part to stave off the layoffs.

DOE officials said only that Westinghouse's proposed cuts are being reviewed at the department's Washington, D.C., headquarters.

"Until that process is complete, we are unable to offer any comments on the proposal," spokesman Bill Taylor said.

While Westinghouse ordered the layoffs, the company remains at the mercy of DOE, which provides its annual budget and work orders and must approve the cuts.

Reach Josh Gelinas at (803)279-6895

or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.

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