South Lanarkshire Labour are calling on Scottish and UK Governments to stand behind the workforce at Rolls Royce, as the engineering giant prepares to slash 9,000 jobs across its global operations.
Trade unions fear that the Rolls Royce plant at Inchinnan will be badly hit by job losses
Trade unions fear that Rolls Royce’s maintenance, repair and overhaul business, previously located in East Kilbride, will be hardest hit by job losses, with workers across South Lanarkshire and the wider supply chain likely to be affected.
A statement has been issued on behalf of Labour councillors in support of the workforce and efforts to retain Rolls Royce jobs.
Councillor Joe Fagan, Leader of South Lanarkshire Labour, said:
I speak on behalf of every Labour councillor in South Lanarkshire when I say that we want the best possible outcome for the workers at Rolls Royce and the West of Scotland economy. That means retaining jobs and looking seriously at how government at all levels can support the workforce through the challenging months ahead.
Many of us are receiving messages from Rolls Royce workers concerned about their future and I want them all to know that Labour in South Lanarkshire stands with them and we are working on their behalf. Our statement makes clear that there must be meaningful engagement with the workforce and government intervention to save jobs and support the aerospace industry.
Joe Fagan is leader of the Labour group of councillors on south Lanarkshire Council
South Lanarkshire Labour issued the following statement:
South Lanarkshire Labour are deeply concerned about the job losses announced by Rolls Royce and the impact this could have on their Inchinnan maintenance, repair and overhaul facility.
Although it has been several years since Rolls Royce withdrew from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire is still home to many Rolls Royce workers. They are part of our community and have been for decades. South Lanarkshire Labour stands with them at this deeply worrying time.
Rolls Royce also has a much wider economic footprint throughout Scotland, in terms of its supply chain and the number of jobs it supports indirectly. Job losses at Inchinnan are therefore an issue of critical importance to the aerospace sector as a whole and to the regional economy across the West of Scotland, from Renfrewshire to Lanarkshire and beyond. The loss of aerospace jobs at this level will do lasting economic harm and must be averted.
South Lanarkshire Labour have been in contact with trade unions to offer our support and we have briefed the leadership at South Lanarkshire Council on our concerns about the severity of this developing situation.
We believe there must be meaningful dialogue between trade unions and management in order to retain jobs and we have made our position clear to management.
We also support our Labour colleagues in both Scottish and UK Parliaments who have called for immediate intervention, to protect jobs now and to support the sector through the difficult months to come.
It is clear that strategic intervention in the sector by government is now required.
Our position is clear. Everything that can be done, must be done to retain these vital, irreplaceable jobs in our economy.
Please be assured of our continued support.
You can show your support by signing the petition to protect Rolls Royce Inchinnan job losses
10th June 2020
I could not agree more Joe, when airline start flying again which they will where will the repair work go? Overseas. We and the Scottish government nèed to do everything in our power to retain these highly skilled engineering jobs in Scotland.
We need to also understand the consequential effects on the supply chain. RR EK is not the only repair facility in the RR world wide business so why is it that EK repair and overhaul are always the hardest hit?
It’s time this iconic British company looked at saving jobs in the UK and not looking at the fast buck.
Regards Robert George ex chairman of the staff union members.