Workers lobby MPs over jobs

Oct 17 2007 by Iain Laing, The Journal

HUNDREDS of workers from across the UK lobbied MPs in Westminster yesterday as part of a trade union campaign to boost manufacturing and stop jobs being moved overseas.

Unite called on the Government to take urgent action to stem the flow of jobs to other countries, highlighted by last week’s decision by Swedish cleaner company Electrolux to review the future of its Spennymoor plant and its 500 staff in the face of cheaper production in Eastern Europe, and of chocolate giant Cadbury to close a factory near Bristol and transfer production to Poland.

The union will urge ministers to develop a strategic approach to supporting UK industries, pointing out that a million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the past decade.

Unite said there were three key areas for action – developing an effective manufacturing strategy, with at its heart the creation of a level playing field with other European countries, promoting a public procurement policy which underpins UK manufacturing industry, and improved consultation with workers before companies make decisions affecting their future employment.

The protest will be led by joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley. Workers from the threatened Cadbury’s plant will be among those taking part in the demonstration.