Wednesday 18 Jul 2012 @ 14:21
WiredGov Newswire (news from other organisations)
WiredGov Newswire (news from other organisations)
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Remploy workers strike in protest at ‘hard-hearted’ government throwing them onto the dole
Remploy workers faced with the dole queue are set to strike tomorrow (Thursday, 19 July) in protest at the actions of “a hard-hearted government hell bent on throwing them onto the dole queue”.
Workers at the 54 factories – 27 of which face the axe – will carry on the fight to save their jobs with a 24-hour strike, spurred on by more than 7,500 individual messages of support. Each factory will receive a giant card with a selection of messages by tomorrow.
Last week, the government announced that the 27 factories will close by the end of the year throwing about 1,700 disabled workers out-of-work. A further nine factories face an uncertain future. The remaining 18 sites are due to close or be sold-off next year.
Unite called on the Westminster government to follow the example of the Welsh Government which has pledged £2.4 million for employers who give jobs to Remploy workers when the factories in Wales close.
Remploy workers will strike again next Thursday (26 July) for 24-hours.
GMB national secretary, Phil Davies said: "Unite and the GMB unions have been campaigning to keep the Remploy factories open as viable businesses and cite the recent upbeat assessment of Remploy’s future prospects from Alan Hill, Managing Director, Remploy Enterprise Businesses who wrote that: 'We have grown our sales by 12.2%, a fantastic achievement'.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
The full list of factories facing closure are: Aberdare, Abertillery, Acton, Ashington, Barking, Birkenhead, Bolton, Cleator Moor, Gateshead, Lanarkshire, Leeds, Leicester, London (Haringay), Manchester, Merthyr Tydfill, Newcastle, Oldham, Penzance, Pontefract, Preston, Southampton, Spennymoor, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Wigan, Worksop and Wrexham.
Remploy was established in 1945 as part of the new welfare state, providing employment for injured soldiers and today is still a workplace for men and women returning from wars around the world.
