Theresa May’s Brexit paralysis is leaving the jewel in the UK’s
manufacturing crown hanging by a thread, Britain and Ireland’s
largest union Unite said today (Thursday 21 March) as an expected
announcement about investment into the car industry was abandoned.
Reports in The Telegraph claim that the business
secretary Greg Clark was set to appear at a ground breaking
ceremony of a new battery facility in Coventry today, but cancelled
as the government becomes increasingly...Request free trial
’s Brexit paralysis is leaving the
jewel in the UK’s manufacturing crown hanging by a thread, Britain
and Ireland’s largest union Unite said today (Thursday 21 March) as
an expected announcement about investment into the car industry was
abandoned.
Reports in The Telegraph claim that
the business secretary was set to appear at a ground
breaking ceremony of a new battery facility in Coventry today, but
cancelled as the government becomes increasingly
rudderless.
UK car workers are battling for their future amid a
slew of job loss announcements in the UK automotive sector and
Honda’s announcement that it plans to close its Swindon
factory.
Unite estimates that the Honda Swindon closure could
result in 3,500 direct jobs going and a further 12,000 in the
supply chain. Unite has called
a march and rally through Swindon for 30 March to highlight the
devastation on the community of the Honda closure.
Earlier this week Unite warned of a deepening jobs
crisis in UK manufacturing after the latest jobs figures showed 130
manufacturing jobs had been lost every day, or one every 12
minutes, in the six months June to December 2018.
Commenting Unite assistant general secretary for
manufacturing Steve Turner said: “Car workers should
have been welcoming a much needed shot in the arm for the
industry’s transition to electric and alternatively powered
vehicles today. Instead they face continued uncertainty thanks to
’s Brexit chaos which is
paralysing her rudderless government.
“The car industry is facing unprecedented challenges amid weakening
global sales and the government’s demonisation of diesel. With
investment plummeting, job losses racking up and Honda planning to
the leave the UK what does the government do? It fiddles while Rome
burns as menaces the nation with the chaos
of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.
“We are in the middle of a manufacturing emergency with 130
manufacturing jobs being lost every day in the UK. It’s time for
the government to wake up before it is too late.
“The government needs to take the Brexit handbrake off its support
for the car industry by throwing its full weight behind the fight
to persuade Honda to stay in the UK and by properly supporting the
transition to electric and alternative powered vehicles.”
