Union calls for action on engineering job losses

Monday, 11 August 2003 12:00 AM

The manufacturing union, Amicus, is calling on the Government to act over plans by the train manufacturer, Alstom to cut 5,000 jobs.

The union argues that the Government is failing UK workers by not implementing stronger employment legislation that protects workers across Europe.

The company announced that it was to axe 5,000 UK jobs on Sunday, blaming the Government for failing to back its efforts to keep train building and power equipment contracts in Britain.

Amicus wants to see stronger employment legislation on a par with the rest of Europe because it feels that as the UK is less protected, large multi-national companies are more likely to cut UK jobs first.

Derek Simpson, Joint General Secretary of Amicus, stated, 'The UK government is failing the UK Alstom workforce on two counts - firstly by not implementing the kind of employment legislation that protects workers' jobs in France, Spain and Germany, but also by failing to intervene in what amounts to a devastating blow to UK manufacturing capability.'

Joint General Secretary, Roger Lyons, added, 'While the French government are intervening to assist Alstom financially, the British government are standing idly by. I have already written to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to asking her to intervene parallel to any action taken by the French government but the announcement of more job losses makes the situation even more urgent.'

Alstom announced that it is to close its plant at Washwood Heath in Birmingham despite winning a £100 million contract to build carriages for London Underground. The work is likely to be transferred to France or Spain.

The French government plans to take a 31% stake in the company in an effort to help it deal with its £3.4 billion debt. However, the deal will have to be approved by the European Commission.

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