Unions' one million pound Peugeot boycott starts today
3 July 2006
A one million pound advertising campaign
encouraging British people to show solidarity with sacked Peugeot
workers by not buying Peugeot and Citroen cars begins today (Monday
3 July).
The campaign will launch with adverts in all national
newspapers, selected regional newspapers and 130 poster sites in
prominent city centre locations and close to Peugeot dealerships
across the country.
The poster and advertisement features a dejected Peugeot
worker being comforted by his wife but surrounded by England flags
to tie in with the World Cup. The slogan reads ‘Peugeot sacked
2000: You’re either Peugeot or England’ and for that reason the
adverts will appear in newspaper sports sections and in special
football pullouts.
The campaign will build up over July and August in order to
hit Peugeot’s September sales. September is the highest sales month
for all car manufacturers with the launch of the new vehicle
registrations. Hundreds more posters and adverts will appear over
the summer and the unions are also planning a national day of
action, targeting Peugeot dealerships, and campaigning around high
profile events such as the Motor Show and the launch of Peugeot’s
new 207 model in July. The unions also plan to advertise the
boycott in trade magazines such as Auto Trader and car fleet
magazines.
The million pound campaign funded by Amicus and the Transport
and General Workers Unions follows Peugeot’s decision to end car
making in the UK with the closure of its’ Ryton plant in Coventry.
The company plans to move production to France and low wage
Slovakia, resulting in the loss of 2,300 vital UK jobs. This is
despite the fact that Ryton is one of the most productive and
efficient of all Peugeot’s car making plants.
The unions have an alternative plan to keep Ryton open which
Peugeot are refusing to meet with them to discuss.
Amicus’ General Secretary, Derek Simpson, said: “The
Government’s failure to protect high quality manufacturing jobs
against feckless multinational companies has led us to this radical
course of action. Peugeot and companies like them cannot condemn
thousands of UK workers to the dole and still expect to benefit
from lucrative UK sales.
– More –
“We believe that the Great British public will want to send a
powerful message to Peugeot – that if they want to sell their cars
here they have to build them here. They cannot expect to bolster
their already vast profits by exploiting cheap labour in Eastern
Europe without there being a backlash.”
Tony Woodley, TGWU General Secretary, said: "Consumers need to
understand that if they choose to buy Peugeot or Citroën cars they
are buying vehicles tainted by a company looking to make quick
profits on the back of cheap labour.
"Our message to consumers is to buy an alternative car and so
tell Peugeot if they want to sell cars here, they should make them
here.
"We are fighting for British manufacturing and jobs. We hope
consumers will join the fight."
The UK is the third largest market for Peugeot and Citroen
cars, selling 280,000 here in 2005, contributing to the company’s
€1 billion profit in 2005.
Ends
Please contact Catherine Bithell in the Amicus press office on
07958 473 224 or Ciaran Naidoo on 020 7 420 8931 or 077689 311 315
or Andrew Dodgshon in the T&G press office on 020 7 611 2550 or
07976 832 156
