Press Release
GMB at EU sugar forum
24 February 2012
GMB SHOP STEWARD FROM TATE & LYLE SUGAR REFINERY TO ATTEND EU SUGAR FORUM IN BRUSSELS ON MONDAY 27TH FEBRUARY TO SAFEGUARD 95 JOBS IN SILVERTOWN EAST LONDON
When Britain acceded to the EU in 1973 arrangements were made for the UK to be able to continue to source raw cane sugar from the Caribbean and the Pacific region and this arrangement should continue to apply says GMB
Ray Boyle, GMB Shop Steward representing workers at Tate& Lyle sugar refinery at Silvertown in East London will be attending the EU Sugar Forum in Brussels on Monday 27th February as a first step in safeguarding 95 job losses under threat at the site. He will be accompanied at the meeting by Kathleen Walker Shaw, GMB European Officer who is based in Brussels.
These proposed job losses arise over the company problem of sourcing enough cane sugar from the Caribbean and Pacific sugar plantations because of European Union import restrictions. Tate & Lyle is pursuing legal redress against the European Commission for this import ban.
Kathleen Walker Shaw, GMB European Office in Brussels has intervened with the Commission over the import restrictions that are affecting the Silver Town site which is currently running at 60% of its capacity.
Paul Campbell, GMB Organiser said, “GMB representatives are attending the EU Sugar forum on Monday in Brussels.
GMB will be telling the Forum that the suggestion that 95 workers at the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery in London should pay the price for this European import restriction with the loss of their jobs is completely unacceptable. GMB is saying no to these redundancies and GMB is demanding a strategy from the EU to avoid these job losses.
Much of the UK's sugar is sourced from cane sugar and this refinery is not able to refine sugar using sugar beet as a raw material.
I believe that the European Union is putting the interests of the EU farmers who grow sugar beet ahead of that of these East London workers and the workers on the sugar plantations. When Britain acceded to the EU in 1973 arrangements were made for the UK to be able to continue to source raw cane sugar from the Caribbean and the Pacific region and this arrangement should continue to apply.
GMB's European Officer will also put pressure on our friends in Europe to assist the company in its negotiations with the EU to get enough cane sugar to keep the London plant working properly.”
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