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Unions
announce demonstration in Derby over Bombardier job cuts
6 July
Unions representing the Bombardier workforce in Derby confirmed today
that they will be mobilising a mass demonstration on Saturday 23rd
July in the city in protest at plans to axe over 1400 jobs as a result
of the Governments� refusal to award the company the Thameslink
carriage contract.
Details of the timings and the route
of the Derby protest are still being agreed with the police and the
council and further details will be available shortly.
Meanwhile, rail union RMT demanded a
halt to the tendering process after it emerged that Bombardier have
been put on alert as � reserve bidders� in the event of something
going wrong with the Siemens bid, fuelling union suspicions that the
final contract has not yet been signed off and opening up the
possibility for the Government to reverse their decision.
RMT is also demanding publication of
the tendering evaluation as part of the statutory consultation on
redundancies required by another Government department. RMT is
specifically seeking justification for the Government claim that the
Siemens bid represents �value for money�for the British taxpayer in
light of the destruction of 13,000 jobs in and around Derby as a
direct result of the plans.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
�On the 23rd July we
intend to bring the whole of Derby out onto the streets in protest at
plans that would destroy core manufacturing industry and 13,000 jobs
in and around the city. This act of political vandalism would impact
on every single person in the area.
�We also want this process stopped
and stopped now to allow us to look in detail at this wholly spurious
claim that the Siemens bid represents �value for money�. As part of
the redundancy consultation it has to be justified that this is a
genuine and unavoidable redundancy situation - we do not believe that
it is as the workforce are actually the victims of a political stitch
up.
�If the Government and their
puppet-masters in the EU think that the fight for the future of
Bombardier is over then we�ve got news for them - it has only just
begun.� |
