BRITISH trade unions and the Labour party last night accused British Energy, the privatised nuclear operator, of sacrificing safety for shareholder profit after it confirmed plans to axe almost a quarter of the workforce. The company, which floated on the stock market in July, announced it was cutting 1,460 jobs over the next three years. British Energy, which runs Britain's eight most modern nuclear power stations, said the move was "in line with commitments made during privatisation" and would eventually lead to annual savings of £50 million sterling in staff costs.