The Business
Secretary announced today that he is to set up an Economic
Response Task Force as a result of the ongoing review by
Bombardier Transportation of its UK rail operations and today’s
announcement that it has started a 90-day consultation process on
proposed job losses at Derby.
The Task Force will be headed up by Margaret Gildea OBE, who
runsOrganisation Change Solutions, to mitigate the economic
impact of job losses at Bombardier, its supply chain and the local
communities. It will draw on representatives from Derby City
Council, Derby City College and the Skills Funding Agency.
Jobcentre Plus will also deploy its Rapid Response Service to
support workers that will be affected.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
"I am very disappointed with today’s news from
Bombardier Transportation that it has started consultation likely
to result in significant job losses at Derby as a result of not
winning the Thameslink contract.
“This will be a very worrying time for the workers and their
families. I have asked Margaret Gildea OBE to set up a Task Force
to work with Bombardier, BIS Local and other local partners in
Derby. Margaret is a well respected local business leader and has
plenty of experience having worked at Rolls Royce and been a Board
member of Semta.
“Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, and I recently wrote to
the PM to highlight the issue of public procurement and how we
should manage the process in the public sector to sustain a
competitive supply base that meets the UK’s strategic needs within
EU procurement rules.
“We recognise that there is a need to examine the wider issue of
whether the UK is making best use of the application of the EU
procurement rules. The Government will now look at this area in
the next phase of the Growth Review.
“My Department will work closely with Bombardier, during their
ongoing review, as they explore opportunities to sustain their
manufacturing base in the UK in the long term. It is vital that we
retain these skills. And we will help the company explore any
other international markets which are priorities for them.
“Longer term we will work with the rail industry as we develop
our strategies to secure more sustainable supply jobs in the UK.
Officials at BIS will work with industry and its representative
bodies to support the UK rail supply chain to maximise business
opportunities identified through contracts like the Intercity
Express Programme, Thameslink and Crossrail.”
Notes to editors:
1.
Margaret Gildea OBE is an HR and Change Management
consultant with over 20 years experience of Change Management,
Organisation Development, Restructuring, Talent Management and
Learning and Development at Senior Management and Director level
at Rolls-Royce, and Non Executive Directorships in the Health
Service and Skills Sector. She now runs Organisation Change
Solutions. Other organisations she has worked with include Semta,
EAL, Stemnet, CEL, Manchester City Council and the BBC. She was
awarded the OBE for services to business in January 2008.
2. BIS's online newsroom contains the latest press
notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It
also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See
http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom
for more information.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Rebecca Murrell
Phone: 020 7215 6403
Rebecca.Murrell@bis.gsi.gov.uk