Unite launches national campaign to save car and manufacturing jobs
26th February 2009
A national campaign to save jobs in manufacturing in Britain is
launched today by Unite, the UK's biggest union, as the jobs of up
to 6,000 motor industry workers hang in the balance with the
threatened collapse of van-maker LDV, and agency workers at BMW in
Cowley continue to be laid off.
This week an estimated 500 agency workers at the BMW plant are
expected to join 330 colleagues sacked last week in the ranks of
the unemployed.
Unite, concerned that the recession is biting deep into
manufacturing and is hitting the car industry especially hard, is
launching a national campaign to save jobs across the sector.
It is also seeking to secure compensation for the Oxford workers
already dismissed, backed by thousands of expressions of support
for the workers and condemnation of BMW for the manner in which the
agency workers, some of whom worked at the plant for six years,
were sacked without a penny.
Unite has set up an online petition - www.savemanufacturing.co.uk -
to channel support for a national strategy for manufacturing, and
to maintain pressure on BMW to treat the sacked workers fairly.
Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, said: “The sackings
last week were shocking, with workers given barely an hour’s notice
as they finished their shifts. This is no way to deal with the
worldwide difficulties facing the motor industry and we expect far
better from a company of BMW’s standing.
“Make no mistake, we are now in a battle to save jobs, to save
our manufacturing sector and protect our communities from the
ravages of unemployment. We urge workers everywhere to sign this
petition. We can save jobs, but time is dangerously close to
running out. The banks are failing to do the job taxpayers have
funded them to do, which is get the cash to needy
businesses.
"The government has some good ideas about how it can support
this vital industry, and has set aside £1 billion to do so, but
accessing this support is like cracking the Da Vinci code. This
money needs to get into the hands of employers who need it most
desperately, and get to them fast, so that workers can be kept in
work and this industry can help drag our country out of
recession.”
Tony Woodley condemned BMW for using the agency status of 520
workers at Cowley to allow them to be dismissed without proper
notice or compensation: “We have been inundated with messages of
support for these workers. People are shocked to learn that
BMW can quite lawfully exploit these workers, who could be thrown
on the dole without a penny and without forewarning because of
their agency status. We are saying to BMW and to employers
everywhere that you cannot treat your agency workers as second
class citizens.”
Unite is pressing the government to establish a £13 billion
strategic fund to support manufacturing through the
recession. It also wants £100 million, already identified by
the government as assistance, to be used immediately to introduce
short-time working across the sector, and for the government to act
to protect agency workers from sacking without compensation.
ENDS
For further information contact Pauline Doyle on 07976 832
861
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