UNITE: Government must act to save Tees Valley jobs as Sirius Mineral workers face layoffs
Monday, 23 September 2019 12:12
Following reports of large numbers of construction workers being
laid off at the Sirius Minerals development, Unite, the UK and
Ireland’s largest union, has demanded that the government
immediately ends its policy of indifference and provides support
for the project to build a potash mine in north Yorkshire and a
processing plant in Redcar. Last Tuesday (17 September)
Sirius Minerals was forced to announce a halt to its plans to
develop the potash mine and processing plant because of...Request free trial
Following reports of large numbers of construction workers
being laid off at the Sirius Minerals development, Unite, the UK
and Ireland’s largest union, has demanded that the government
immediately ends its policy of indifference and provides support
for the project to build a potash mine in north Yorkshire and a
processing plant in Redcar.
Last Tuesday (17 September)
Sirius Minerals was forced to announce a halt to its plans to
develop the potash mine and processing plant because of the
government’s failure to back the plans which would have generated
jobs and investment and was predicated to expand the Tees Valley
economy by 18 per
cent.
At the end of the week Unite
began to receive reports from the main construction contractors
involved in working on the Sirius Minerals project had begun to lay
off their workforce. Around 1,200 construction workers are employed
by contractors at the
site.
Unite regional officer Neil
Howells, said: “The news of the widespread layoffs
at the Sirius Minerals project is a devastating blow for
construction workers in the
region.
“The entire future
of the project has been placed under a dark cloud due to the
failure of Boris Johnson’s government to provide support for the
project which if allowed to go ahead would bring widespread
prosperity to a region where it is desperately
needed.
“The government
must now reverse its decision, support the scheme and help to
secure our members jobs on Teesside where they are desperately
needed.
“Unite is
proactively looking to work in cooperation with Sirius Minerals
management to ensure that this vitally needed project continues so
that we can maintain and create first class, highly motivated,
unionised
jobs.
ENDS
Government lack
of support putting hundreds of Teesside jobs in
jeopardy
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