Press Release
GMB condems government decision to close 36 Remploy factories
7 March 2012
I never thought that I would live to see the day that an organisation set up to provide sustainable employment for disabled people being shut down says GMB National Secretary.
GMB, the union for Remploy workers, responded to the Ministerial statement in the House of Commons today which announced the decision to close 36 of the 54 remaining Remploy sites with compulsory redundancy for 1,752 people of which 1,518 of these are disabled. The statement envisages the complete closure of all 54 factories in due course.
The factories to be closed are shown in Notes to Editors below.
Phil Davies, GMB National Secretary for GMB Members working at Remploy said, “This decision to sack 1,752 people in 36 Remploy factories across the country is one of the worst decision that this discredited coalition government has taken since coming to office.
The decision to close these 36 factories followed by the other 18 factories in due course is an attack on the most vulnerable members of our society. Thousands of disabled workers will now pay with their jobs for the incompetence of this government and other public sector bodies that did not take advantage of EU procurement rules that allow supported manufacturing jobs for disabled workers. These factories have lacked support for years and have never been properly loaded with enough work to make them economically viable.
I never thought that I would live to see the day that an organisation set up to provide sustainable employment for disabled people being shut down.
It is a disgrace that a number of large charities, set up to help disabled people and run by very well paid, able bodied people have misled the British public and provided the government with the cover to undertake this act of sacking disabled workers. Shame on them.”
Kevin Hepworth, Unite National Officer added, “GMB and the other trade unions in Remploy will not stand by and allow this attack to go unanswered.
The next step is for a substantial period of consultation. Shop Stewards from all the factories will be meeting on the 26/27th March to set out a plan of action.”
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