Press Release
Remploy demo in Edinburgh tomorrow (22 March) as promoter of Remploy closures speaks at conference on disability rights
21 March 2012
Liz Sayce's attendance at this conference is an insult to all those in Scotland who are trying to find employment for disabled people as she single-handedly has taken away the rights of disabled people throughout the UK to choose for themselves says GMB
GMB and Unite, the unions for Remploy workers, will hold a demonstration tomorrow (Thursday 22nd March)in Edinburgh outside the venue where Liz Sayce, who called on the Tory/Liberal Government to sack the disabled Remploy workers, is speaking at a conference.
This demonstration follows the Ministerial statement on 8th March the House of Commons which announced the decision to close 36 of the 54 remaining Remploy sites with compulsory redundancy for 1,752 people of whom 1,518 of these are disabled. The statement envisages the complete closure of all 54 factories in due course.
The factories to close are as follows: Aberdare, Aberdeen, Abertillery, Acton, Ashington, Barking, Barrow, Birkenhead, Bolton, Bridgend, Bristol, Chesterfield, Cleator Moor, Croespenmaen, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil, Motherwell, Newcastle, North London, North Staffs, Oldham, Penzance, Pontefract, Poole, Preston, Southampton, Spennymoor, Springburn, Swansea, Wigan, Worksop and Wrexham.
The detail of the demonstration is as follows:
From 9am Thursday 22 March
Outside Apex International Hotel,
31-35 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh EH1 2HS
GMB expecting quite a large number of Remploy workers and supporters with placards and banners
Later on in the day there will also be a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament. For details call numbers below.
Phil Davies, GMB National Secretary said "Liz Sayce has the bare faced cheek to speak at a conference that is seeking to improve and expand supported employment for disabled people in Scotland when it was her report that may lead to the closure of 7 Remploy factories in Scotland.
Liz Sayce's attendance at this conference is an insult to all those in Scotland who are trying to find employment for disabled people. She has single-handedly taken away the rights of disabled people throughout the UK to choose for themselves. I hope the people in Scotland give her the welcome she deserves."
Kevin Hepworth, Unite Officer with national responsibility for Remploy said "Liz Sayce will be attending this conference on the pretext of finding work for disabled people.
She has single-handedly produced a report for the government that condemns thousands of disabled people to a life of poverty.
Liz Sayce should hang her head in shame and apologise for the stress and anxiety she has created to thousands of disabled people and their families."
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