Ministers need to put their foot on the accelerator to get a deal
with the EU that safeguards the UK automotive industry which
employs about 800,000 workers directly and more than two million
in the wider economy, Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union,
said today (Friday 2 October).
Unite is launching its Get a Deal campaign aimed at MPs,
particularly Tory MPs in ‘red wall’ seats where car plant
workforces live, so that the UK auto industry, which has enjoyed
a renaissance over the last three decades, is not sacrificed on
‘the altar of a deal at any price’.
Unite’s autumn campaign – launched today with just 90 days until
the transition period ends on 31 December - is to ensure that the
car industry, the jewel in the crown of British manufacturing, is
not irrevocably damaged by a ‘no deal car crash’ and that its
concerns are truly reflected in an acceptable trade deal.
Unite is concerned not just for those directly employed, but also
all the other businesses and jobs who will be hit by no deal or a
‘thin’ trade deal. Such an outcome will cause a ripple effect
negatively impacting on pubs, cafes, newsagents and the business
‘ecosystems’ that rely on the car plants.
Unite’s fears are heightened by the recent leaked letter from the
UK’s chief negotiator which revealed car parts from Japan and Turkey used in
the UK will not be treated as British, so, as a result, some
exports may see higher tariffs – and the UK, so far, has failed
to get a deal on this.
A major sticking point is that the average UK-produced car
content is 41 per cent British made components, according to The
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), when 50 per
cent is the threshold for the Rules of Origin content which would
be integral to an acceptable trade deal.
Unite is standing by for a call from Cabinet Office minister
so that the union can discuss the government’s proposals
to safeguard the automotive sector, its supply chain and the
millions of jobs at stake in the face of this issue and the
enormous problems the industry faces at the border if there are
no practical customs arrangements.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “I’m standing by for
a call from because it is absolutely vital that the government puts
its foot on the negotiating accelerator to ensure that the UK car
industry, which has enjoyed such success in recent years, is not
sacrificed on the altar of getting a deal at any price.”
Unite national officer for automotive industries Des Quinn said:
“Hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs and the future of whole
communities hang in the balance. The post-Brexit economic
prospects will look very bleak for the UK without a flourishing
and vibrant car industry – and threatens the development of
electric vehicles and all the jobs that will be created.
“JLR, one of the UK's biggest employers with nearly 40,000
workers directly employed, requires 1,100 trucks a day delivering
parts and components to keep it running at maximum efficiency.
“Those trucks must not be stuck idling in a Kent lay-by causing
production and jobs to be lost because the government wants a
deal that suits its narrow objectives, without a care for the
livelihoods of working people and the UK economy.”
Unite national officer for automotive industries Steve Bush said:
“The Get a Deal campaign is aimed at the public putting pressure
on MPs to get a deal that strongly safeguards the interests of
the automotive sector and its supply chain.
“We are particularly targeting Tory MPs in ‘red wall’ seats where
many car workers and their families live. Without those car
plants working smoothly and at full capacity, hopes of the
government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda for the UK’s most
disadvantaged regions will disappear as the dole queues lengthen.
“The automotive sector faced challenges before the pandemic
struck, such as reducing carbon emissions and the green agenda –
and this had been compounded by Covid-19 – but ministers seem
complacent in the face of these challenges.”
The Get a Deal campaign webpage can be accessed via the link
below:
https://unitetheunion.org/campaigns/brexit-get-a-deal/
