Shock and anger at Remploy closures
DISABLED workers were today left reeling over confirmation two Teesside factories will close for good.
Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain announced 28 Remploy factories, including those in Alberto Street in Stockton and Oakesway Business Park in Hartlepool, would definitely close under the firm’s modernisation proposals.
Remploy highlighted 28 factories for closure earlier this month, including the Teesside sites which employ 140 staff.
The factories will now close early next year.
But confirmation of the closures has left Teesside workers fearing for their futures.
Roland Precious, 57, from Billingham, said they felt anger, shock and disgust at the announcement.
“We are completely and utterly devastated at the appalling news.”
He claimed Mr Hain had gone back on a promise he had made to the Labour Party conference.
“They have badly broken their promises,” he added.
“Unfortunately now we are going to lose our jobs.”
He said it was a “major myth” that they would be able to find alternative work.
“Some of the younger, fitter disabled people may fit into mainstream employment, but when you have been in this type of work for a long time you are much older and you have disabilities which are worsening.”
Mr Precious, who has five disabilities, believes they could have saved more factories “if they wanted to”.
“It is just very poor management. Obviously we are going to fight on, but it is very difficult.”
Mr Hain said the world had developed dramatically since Remploy was established at the end of the Second War, and the vast majority of disabled people wanted jobs in mainstream employment, which was the Government’s priority.
The minister said it was “simply not viable” to keep all of Remploy’s 83 factories open, but unions said closures were “completely unnecessary”.
Remploy added it would support employees into mainstream employment.
“Employees have lived with many months of uncertainty and Remploy will be working closely with them as they decide on their options for the future,” said a company statement.
Individual consultation with employees will begin in January.
Most of the factory closures will be completed by the end of March and all will be completed by July.
More than 1,400 disabled and 196 non-disabled employees are affected by the announcement.
Phil Davies, national officer of the GMB, said it was a “bleak day” for disabled workers.
But he added: “The Government’s change of policy on procurement and on the performance monitoring of the board are welcome signs that the trade unions have won the financial, moral and policy arguments.”
A total of 55 Remploy factories will remain open, 15 more than originally planned, while there will be no compulsory redundancies among those affected by the closures, said the minister.
“All those disabled workers who move into new employment will have all their terms and conditions, including membership of their final salary pension scheme, protected,” he added. “The Remploy board will also look at any third party interest in running these factories.”
