Unite, the UK's leading union, has described Rolls-Royce's
announcement of fresh job losses as 'choking the company’s future',
while the proposals to transfer or rundown parts of the business is
'selling the family silver’. Rolls-Royce announced further jobs
losses today (Thursday 3 December), which follows the announcement
of 1,400 job losses last month and 3,000 job losses in June. In a
fresh blow for workers, Rolls-Royce announced it is planning to
sell its manufacturing plant in...Request free trial
Unite, the UK's leading union, has described Rolls-Royce's
announcement of fresh job losses as 'choking the company’s
future', while the proposals to transfer or rundown parts of
the business is 'selling the family
silver’.
Rolls-Royce announced further jobs losses today (Thursday 3
December), which follows the announcement of 1,400 job
losses last month and 3,000 job
losses in June.
In a fresh blow for workers, Rolls-Royce announced it is planning
to sell its manufacturing plant in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
Further work at Barnoldswick is also being transferred, greatly
intensifying fears for the future of the factory. In addition, the
decision to transfer work from Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, to Derby,
poses a further threat to the Scottish plant.
The job losses will include making some of the company’s
apprentices redundant – the first time in over 30 years that there
have been job cuts among this group of workers.
The announcement of fresh job losses is a result of the severe
downturn in the aerospace industry, which is directly a result of
the Covid-19 pandemic. Unlike many other European countries, the
government has failed to provide specific support to the aerospace
sector, leading to far higher job losses than would otherwise have
been the case.
Such sector specific support should come with binding ties that
Rolls-Royce must maintain work in the UK and not offshore it
aboard.
The fresh Rolls-Royce job losses will also have a major impact on
the company’s supply chain. For every job loss at Rolls-Royce,
there are likely to be four job losses in the supply chain.
Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy said: “Rolls-Royce's
timing of the latest round of job losses stinks, workers have been
left fearing for their futures as Christmas approaches.
“This announcement amounts to a death by a thousand cuts will
send a chill through Rolls-Royce’s workers and the entire supply
chain.
“Choking the company's future like this is
clearly about pacifying the city and shareholders in the short
term, while disregarding the hopes and concerns of workers and
their families.
“Unite will be arguing that the decision to make apprentices
redundant must be reversed, they are the future life blood of the
company and their loss will affect the long-term success of
Rolls-Royce.
“Plans to sell the Hucknall plant and transfer work from
Barnoldswick and Inchinnan is selling the family silver, the work
is crucial to Rolls-Royce and the skills of the workforce are
unique.
“The blame for the latest job losses must also fall on the
government. Unlike other countries such as France and Germany, it
has failed to provide specific support to the aerospace sector,
which is resulting in job losses being far steeper in the UK than
in other countries.
“Unite is calling on the government to immediately step in to
prevent these job losses and to ensure the future of the aerospace
sector in the UK.
“Unite is fully prepared to enter into detailed negotiations
with Rolls-Royce to fully consider all alternatives in order to
preserve jobs and guarantee the future of all the company’s
manufacturing plants.”
ENDS
During the
coronavirus crisis Unite is working to keep workers and the public
safe, to defend jobs and to protect incomes.
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