What: Photo/broadcast opportunity – workers from
Jaguar Land Rover join GKN workers to say ‘stop the GKN
takeover’
Where: GKN Driveline Birmingham, Chester Road,
Erdington, Birmingham B24 0QY
When: 12:30 Wednesday 7 March 2018
Unite members from Jaguar Land Rover and other car makers will be
joining GKN Driveline workers in a show of solidarity tomorrow
(Wednesday 7 March) to unfurl a banner calling on ’s government to block Melrose’s
debt-fuelled takeover bid of the British-based engineering firm.
Workers at GKN’s Driveline business along with their colleagues
in the aerospace and defence business, are fearful that a
takeover by Melrose could leave the government’s industrial
strategy in tatters and see GKN being sold off piecemeal with
jobs cut or shipped abroad.
Tomorrow’s show of solidarity follows today’s (Tuesday 6 March)
House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select
committee hearing into Melrose’s hostile bid to takeover GKN
where Unite assistant general secretaries Steve Turner and Tony
Burke will be giving evidence.
Unite is calling on the secretary of state for business to use his powers under the
Enterprise Act (2002) to block Melrose’s bid in the public
interest.
Under the act, the secretary of state can intervene on issues of
national security. GKN is a major defence partner to Airbus and
Boeing, and supplies and maintains UK defence equipment used by
the Royal Air Force and the Army. In addition to the Typhoon
fighter aircraft, GKN is also involved in the F-35 joint strike
aircraft, as well as the Chinook and Black Hawk helicopter
programmes.
Commenting Unite acting automotive national officer Carol
Tallentire: “GKN’s Driveline business is at the heart of the
UK automotive industry and a major employer in Birmingham and the
West Midlands.
“At the cutting edge of electric vehicle technology and supplying
major car makers, such as Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota, GKN is
essential to the government’s industrial strategy.
“In Melrose’s hands, all that would be put at risk and ministers’
plans for the UK to be a leader in electric vehicles could be
left in tatters.
“GKN will be saddled with over £1.3 billion of debt if Melrose
succeeds, while its advisors would pocket upwards of £140 million
in fees. Workers are fearful that they will pay for this debt
fuelled payday with their livelihoods with technology and jobs
shipped abroad.
“Melrose’s debt-fuelled bid would not happen in France or
Germany. has said she will act in the
national interest. It’s time she did and saved British jobs by
ensuring her government stopped the GKN takeover.”
