Responding to the news that Rolls Royce is to cut 9,000 jobs
globally, 3,375 of them in the UK, by the end of 2020 with more
to come in 2021, Unite assistant general secretary for
manufacturing Steve Turner said: "The news that Rolls Royce is
preparing to throw thousands of skilled, loyal, world class
workers, their families and communities under the bus during the
worst public health crisis since 1918 is shameful opportunism.
"This company has accepted public money to furlough thousands of
workers. Unite and Britain’s taxpayers deserve a more responsible
approach to a national emergency. We call upon Rolls Royce to
step back from the brink and work with us on a better way through
this crisis."
Unite is concerned that Rolls Royce will do as it has done in the
past and have the majority of its planned job cuts fall upon the
UK.
Steve Turner continued: "In recent weeks, thousands of skilled
jobs have gone and we are seriously concerned that we are going
back to the dark days of the 1980s when businesses ran away from
their responsibilities to workers who were the basis of their
success.
"Actions then condemned hundreds of thousands to unemployment and
our status as a major manufacturing nation was destroyed. Our
country became a divided and depleted place as a result. We
appeal to government and employers, do not repeat the mistakes of
the past.
"Our members at Rolls Royce, fearful and anxious already in the
face of a pandemic, will be shocked and distressed by this news,
but we say to them we have their back at this difficult time.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our fight to protect skilled
jobs and the backbone of our manufacturing sector.
"We will be meeting with the company over the coming days to
convince them to take a different approach, and pressing the
government to step up to the plate to protect our manufacturing
base.
“This is no time for the government to sit on the sidelines. UK
manufacturing has shown that it can adapt quickly to the needs of
the nation, working around the clock to produce the kit needed to
protect the sick and key workers during this national crisis. Do
not let this incredible national resource go to the wall.
"I repeat my calls to government: we urgently need you to work
with unions and industry on a programme to take industry through
the next phase of this crisis.
“Establish a National Council for Recovery and work with us,
sending a clear signal that there is a strategy to reposition UK
Plc and build Britain out of this dreadful situation. That is
what a nervous business community needs in order to keep
investing in our jobs and communities.
"Without this plan more companies will sack more people and the
mass unemployment, broken families and devastated communities
that we all dread will become a stark reality.”
