Sir,

Closure of North Staffordshire Remploy

The decision to close the North Staffordshire Remploy facility with the loss of 114 jobs – 104 of which are for disabled people – is an attack on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Remploy was initially set up in 1946 to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, many of them injured servicemen returning from the war.

This week we saw the government sack 1,752 people across the country with the Chesterfield facility included as one of the 36 factories to close. Rather than putting more disabled workers on the dole the government should be using EU procurement rules that allow supported manufacturing jobs for disabled workers. Not enough public bodies were placing orders with Remploy leading to a lack of work in the factories. The government should encourage public sector bodies to award contracts to Remploy for work that will provide a sustainable future for the company and its’ workers.

The government’s action is a disgrace, and should be immediately withdrawn. Urgent plans need to be put forward to fully utilise the capabilities that these sites clearly have. They will not though, because they just don’t care about the damage they are doing.

Yours

Rob Johnston

Regional Secretary

Midlands TUC

Further information: 

The 2 links below include a C4 clip where a Remploy worker explains why he is devastated - please watch, please pass on to as many as you can by whatever means.

Please sign and have signed the e petition, Unite and GMB will fight and fight to change this decision.

Any contributions to the " Remploy Fighting Fund" can be send to me  @  Unite the Union, Unit 2, Pride Point Drive, Pride Park, Derby DE248BX, all donations will be put to good use.

Remploy closures are "a despicable act" http://t.co/eZiy1wRj

HELP SAVE REMPLOY - Go to www.remployworkers.info and sign the petition

Closure of Leicester Remploy

Sir,

Closure of Leicester Remploy

The decision to close the Leicester Remploy facility with the loss of 23 jobs – 20 of which are for disabled people – is an attack on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Remploy was initially set up in 1946 to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, many of them injured servicemen returning from the war.

This week  we saw the government sack 1,752 people across the country with the Leicester facility included as one of the 36 factories to close. Rather than putting more disabled workers on the dole the government should be using EU procurement rules that allow supported manufacturing jobs for disabled workers. Not enough public bodies were placing orders with Remploy leading to a lack of work in the factories. The government should encourage public sector bodies to award contracts to Remploy for work that will provide a sustainable future for the company and its’ workers.

The government’s action is a disgrace, and should be immediately withdrawn. Urgent plans need to be put forward to fully utilise the capabilities that these sites clearly have. They will not though, because they just don’t care about the damage they are doing.

Yours

Rob Johnston

Regional Secretary

Midlands TUC

 

Further information: 

The 2 links below include a C4 clip where a Remploy worker explains why he is devastated - please watch, please pass on to as many as you can by whatever means.

Please sign and have signed the e petition, Unite and GMB will fight and fight to change this decision.

Any contributions to the " Remploy Fighting Fund" can be send to me  @  Unite the Union, Unit 2, Pride Point Drive, Pride Park, Derby DE248BX, all donations will be put to good use.

Remploy closures are "a despicable act" http://t.co/eZiy1wRj

HELP SAVE REMPLOY - Go to www.remployworkers.info and sign the petition

Closure of Chesterfield Remploy

Sir,

Closure of Chesterfield Remploy

The decision to close the Chesterfield  Remploy facility with the loss of 64 jobs – 54 of which are for disabled people – is an attack on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Remploy was initially set up in 1946 to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, many of them injured servicemen returning from the war.

This week we saw the government sack 1,752 people across the country with the Chesterfield facility included as one of the 36 factories to close. Rather than putting more disabled workers on the dole the government should be using EU procurement rules that allow supported manufacturing jobs for disabled workers. Not enough public bodies were placing orders with Remploy leading to a lack of work in the factories. The government should encourage public sector bodies to award contracts to Remploy for work that will provide a sustainable future for the company and its’ workers.

The government’s action is a disgrace, and should be immediately withdrawn. Urgent plans need to be put forward to fully utilise the capabilities that these sites clearly have. They will not though, because they just don’t care about the damage they are doing.

Yours

Rob Johnston

Regional Secretary

Midlands TUC

Further information: 

The 2 links below include a C4 clip where a Remploy worker explains why he is devastated - please watch, please pass on to as many as you can by whatever means.

Please sign and have signed the e petition, Unite and GMB will fight and fight to change this decision.

Any contributions to the " Remploy Fighting Fund" can be send to me  @  Unite the Union, Unit 2, Pride Point Drive, Pride Park, Derby DE248BX, all donations will be put to good use.

Remploy closures are "a despicable act" http://t.co/eZiy1wRj

HELP SAVE REMPLOY - Go to www.remployworkers.info and sign the petition

Closure of North Staffordshire Remploy

Sir,

Closure of North Staffordshire Remploy

The decision to close the North Staffordshire Remploy facility with the loss of 114 jobs – 104 of which are for disabled people – is an attack on some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Remploy was initially set up in 1946 to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, many of them injured servicemen returning from the war.

This week we saw the government sack 1,752 people across the country with the Chesterfield facility included as one of the 36 factories to close. Rather than putting more disabled workers on the dole the government should be using EU procurement rules that allow supported manufacturing jobs for disabled workers. Not enough public bodies were placing orders with Remploy leading to a lack of work in the factories. The government should encourage public sector bodies to award contracts to Remploy for work that will provide a sustainable future for the company and its’ workers.

The government’s action is a disgrace, and should be immediately withdrawn. Urgent plans need to be put forward to fully utilise the capabilities that these sites clearly have. They will not though, because they just don’t care about the damage they are doing.

Yours

Rob Johnston

Regional Secretary

Midlands TUC

Further information: 

The 2 links below include a C4 clip where a Remploy worker explains why he is devastated - please watch, please pass on to as many as you can by whatever means.

Please sign and have signed the e petition, Unite and GMB will fight and fight to change this decision.

Any contributions to the " Remploy Fighting Fund" can be send to me  @  Unite the Union, Unit 2, Pride Point Drive, Pride Park, Derby DE248BX, all donations will be put to good use.

Remploy closures are "a despicable act" http://t.co/eZiy1wRj

HELP SAVE REMPLOY - Go to www.remployworkers.info and sign the petition

Pictures from Chesterfield where Remploy workers are on strike today (Thursday 26th January)

Remploy workers out in Chesterfield

Phil Davis, GMB National Secretary visits Chesterfield

This has been a week for visiting picket lines in the region. Today we added our support to Remploy workers in Chesterfield who are protesting about the company signing a contract which means that a private company is using able bodied staff to work in Remploy factories - when the whole purpose of Remploy is to provide work for those with a disability.

Pictured is GMB National Secretary for Remploy workers, on his visit to Chesterfield today.

The factory was closed for business, and hearteningly delivery lorries were refusing to cross the picket lines.

This was one picket line with a traditional brazier burning brightly - not that I'm knocking the patio heaters on display yesterday at Unilever in Burton on Trent!

Strike Action this week

We have been notified of three disputes resulting in strike action this week. Please send messages of support for these striking comrades as follows: These are:


25th January - Unilever, Burton on Trent, pensions strike
“Unilever can afford to sustain the current pension scheme unchanged due to the profitability of the company.
The Trade Unions are able to put forward constructive alternative proposals on pensions, but these have never been considered by Unilever.
That is why union members are seeking talks with the company possible under the auspices ACAS. The strike action is to secure these talks.”
Burton Factory
Wellington Road,
Burton-on-Trent,
Staffordshire, DE14 2AB
Time:
Commencing at 05:00 hours on Wednesday 25 January, 2012
Concluding at 04:59 hours on Thursday 26 January, 2012
Messages of support for Unilever strikers to : Gerard Coyne, Unite Regional Secretary, gerard.coyne@unitetheunion.com


25th January - Montgomery School, Birmingham, on Academy status
On Wednesday 25 January members at Montgomery Primary School in Sparkbrook, Birmingham are taking strike action against forced conversion to academy status.
As you know, messages of support make a real difference to members in action.
NASUWT members who are teachers at the school will be on the picket line from 8am to approximately 9.15am. Paula Roe, NASUWT Senior Vice-President, and Anne Brimacombe, Birmingham teacher and National Executive Member, will be available for media interviews.
The public meeting will be held at 7.30pm at the Community Hall, Sparkbrook Islamic Centre, Sydenham Road B11 1ND on Thursday 26 January.
‘Messages of support for Montgomery members’ Anne.Brimacombe@mail.nasuwt.org.uk
 26th January - Remploy, Chesterfield
The Remploy workers in the Chesterfield factory (and in the Springburn factory in Glasgow) have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action over the semi privatising of their factories.
A new Company has been formed R Healthcare which is a partnership between Remploy and a firm called Webster’s which is a large private Orthotics firm. Non disabled apprentices have been taken on and also non disabled shop floor workers have also been taken on. These appointments have been made on terms and conditions that are considerably inferior to those we enjoy in Remploy.
The first strike day will take place on the 26th of January starting at 6-00 am in Chesterfield and 7 30 in Springburn.
The site address is:
Remploy Ltd
Sheffield Road Chesterfield S41 8NJ
All Trade Unionists and activists are welcome on the Picket lines
Messages of Support for Remploy workers should be sent to
Kevin Shand GMB Rep in Chesterfield kevin.shand@remploy.co.uk
Phil Brannan GMB Rep in Springburn Philip.brannan@remploy.co.uk
 07500975379
James Stribley Regional Consortium member Yorkshire jamesstribleygmbyorkshire@hotmail.co.uk
 07525136396For further Information Contact
Les Woodward National Convenor and Trades Council Coordinator
Les.woodward@ntlworld.com
07977436251

Please copy the TUC in to any messages of support at aweaver@tuc.org.uk

Please help get a debate on Remploy - sign the e-petition

The fight to save Remploy, which employs almost 3,000 disabled workers, and trains several thousand of the most disadvantaged in society a year to help them back to employment, goes on.

We are close to our 100,000 target to force a parliament debate - as we saw this week over the European Union.

Please help the Remploy unions to raise this issue in Parliament. You can do a number of things to support this campaign:

• go on line and sign the "e" petition,
• cascade this email to all your friends, family and colleagues to have them sign it.

Please please help the disabled workers in Remploy keep their jobs.

 

HELP SAVE REMPLOY - Go to www.remployworkers.info and sign the petition.