Aerospace parts firm SPS Technologies ‘must not exploit the lockdown’ to slash jobs and terms and conditions at its sites in Nottingham, Leicester and Rugby, Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, said today (Friday 5 June).

Unite has more than 500 members at SPS’ sites across the Midlands, where the firm is planning more than 420 redundancies and reductions to pay grades, sick pay, paid breaks, shift premiums and other terms and conditions for those staff who remain. 

Unite is calling on SPS to furlough workers under the government’s job retention scheme until October so it can gain a clearer picture of the post-lockdown economy and prevent unnecessary job losses and contract changes. 

In Nottinghamshire, SPS is making around a third of the 300 strong workforce at its Annesley site redundant, while more than 40 jobs will go at the firm’s Mansfield site, where around 100 people are employed. SPS has also announced 200 job losses at its 480-man site in Leicester, as well as nearly 100 job losses at its operations in Rugby, which constitutes the vast majority of the site’s workforce. 

Unite regional officer Garry Guye said: “SPS must not exploit the lockdown to force through these unnecessary redundancies and brutal attacks on terms and conditions. Unite is calling on SPS to immediately furlough staff until October under the government’s job retention scheme. 

“Furloughing the workforce will give SPS time to properly assess the economic environment it finds itself in as the country emerges from lockdown and allow a full consultation with Unite to prevent needless harm being inflicted on the workforce.

“SPS now has an opportunity to show that it is not using the lockdown as a cover to attack jobs and T&Cs. If it continues with its plans, SPS’ management can rest assured that Unite will challenge this disgraceful behaviour at every possible juncture.”

ENDS

Leicester SPS Technologies’ attacks on jobs and T&Cs ‘opportunism of the worst kind’

For media enquires ONLY contact Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215.

Email: [email protected]

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.