UNITE: Budget should kick-start a coherent strategy for manufacturing
Unite, Britain’s biggest union, has written to the chancellor, George Osborne ahead of the budget to call for a coherent and pragmatic strategy for manufacturing growth.
“The Tory-led government is failing manufacturing even though David Cameron vowed to re-balance the economy. It’s no good standing by the sidelines with a hope and a prayer, the government needs to actively support Britain’s manufacturers. There needs to be strategic action in the budget to make the most of Britain’s manufacturing talent, whether it’s in pharmaceuticals, aerospace or green technology. ” said Unite assistant general secretary, Tony Burke.
The union’s demands emphasise the urgent need to re-balance the economy, with the government playing a direct and active role in supporting manufacturing. The benefit of supporting manufacturing has been clearly demonstrated in countries such as Germany.
Unite is urging the government to:
. Facilitate loans at competitive rates to enable SMEs and micro companies to increase capital investment in new machinery, technology and equipment. Unite has also consistently called for a Strategic Investment Bank or a “Bank for Industry” where manufacturing companies of all sizes have access to investment funding at an affordable rate.
. Use the government procurement opportunities to ensure goods and services purchased are manufactured or produced in the UK by UK based companies employing UK based workers.
. To review the current level of employer training available with a view to compelling manufacturing employers to train their workers and if they do not, then a statutory levy should be introduced.
Unite is the biggest trade union in the UK representing workers in a wide range of manufacturing sectors including aerospace, engineering, printing, metals, vehicles and electronics. Recent history has shown that the market by itself cannot be relied upon to provide the impetus needed to produce the sustainable growth out of recession.
Tony Burke continued:
“A growth strategy is not about attacking workers rights as too many Tories seem to think. In EU states like Germany, workers have much more employment protection than in the UK but the country is flourishing because successive governments have supported manufacturing. It’s now time for Britain to do the same by re-balancing the economy and promoting and supporting what we produce as well as what we service.”
ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315
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