Unite: Derek Simpson joins Gordon Brown as the Prime Minister visits Rolls Royce in Derby
Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite will today (Wednesday, 7th January) join Gordon Brown as he visits Rolls Royce in Derby as part of the Prime Minister’s tour of Britain.
Mr Simpson will pledge his support for workers in manufacturing and for the Prime Minister’s ‘New Deal’, aimed at supporting Britain’s economy, through ambitious plans for a programme of public works to ease the pain of recession by creating up to 100,000 jobs. The union has also welcomed today’s announcement to expand apprenticeships with an extra £140 million being made available to fund an expansion of 35,000 apprenticeship places in 2009-10.
Unite joint general secretary, Derek Simpson, said:
“There is no doubt that 2009 is going to be a harsh year but Gordon Brown is prepared to listen and act. He understands people’s fears and is taking bold action to help the people of this country weather the economic storm.
“Unite presented Gordon Brown with ten key priorities to stimulate the economy and the Government is already acting on them. Unite is the major voice for working people in Britain. We are taking their concerns to the top of Government and they are being heard.”
But Mr Simpson warned that: “If the cloth-eared Tories had their way there would be no stimulus for the economy, in fact there would be cut backs.”
In response to the Government’s announcement to increase apprenticeships Mr Simpson said:
“Under the Conservatives apprenticeships collapsed. The Tory policies of the eighties sought to make British manufacturing a relic of the industrial revolution with a horrendous human cost. It is time to rebuild British manufacturing.
“Manufacturing penetrates the entire country rather than just London and the south-east and creates high-skilled, well paid jobs – not Mac Jobs. If it were up to the do-nothing Tories the recession would last until doomsday, under Labour, I believe the UK can once again be a country that can be proud of what it builds.”
Unite is pressing for a £13 billion strategic support package from Government, similar to the support provided by the German, French and Swedish governments to their manufacturing sector.
At the end of 2008, Unite the Union presented Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling with ten key priorities as part of government action to spend its way out of the credit crunch and kick-start the faltering economy. The Government has already announced protection for homeowners, investments in public infrastructure and increased spending, a cut in VAT and a new 45% higher income tax rate.
ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315
Notes to editors:
Unite’s 10 Key priorities:
1. Freezing repossessions on homes and creating 1 million new affordable homes
2. Increasing public spending levels to create demand
3. Supporting manufacturing through procurement and investment
4. A price commission for energy and a windfall tax on profits
5. The introduction of a fair tax regime to address the poverty gap
6. Maintaining a commitment to full employment
7. Restoring and defending collective rights for workers
8. Advancing investment in public infrastructure
9. Reducing interest rates to stimulate investment
10. Introducing a new order and regulation into the finance sector
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