RMT

RMT reaction to Bombardier statements that they may have close the Derby plant if they don’t secure the Crossrail fleet contract
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date 13 February 2012
source RMT
type Press release

Reacting to the statement today from Bombardier that they may be forced to close the Derby plant if they don’t secure the Crossrail contract, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“We have warned repeatedly that hand-to-mouth, short-term work to get the Government off the political hook is no long term solution to securing the future of train building in the UK and that point has been rammed home in the Bombardier company comments today.

“The Government has played politics with UK train-building and the future of thousands of jobs at the Derby plant and in the supply chain for far too long and with the Thameslink contract still unsigned due to financial problems, and the Crossrail procurement firmly on the agenda, RMT and the workforce want action to save the industry now.

“With unemployment heading towards three million, the fact that the Government is still refusing to lift a finger to save thousands of skilled engineering jobs at the last UK train-builder is a national scandal. They should be forced to step in now and get the bogged-down Thameslink work diverted to Derby and give assurances that the Crosslink procurement will take full account of socio-economic factors and the quality of the engineering.”

Railhub Archive ::: 2012-02-13 RMT-001