Unions call on government for UK manufacturing

UK
unions have unveiled a plan designed to stop the decline if UK manufacturing.

Amicus,
in conjunction with the GMB, T&G and Unison unions, is recommending a list
of measures the unions believe will bolster manufacturing, which is losing
2,500 jobs every week.

They
want to see:

•
A national investment bank to counter the ‘damaging short-termism of Britain’s
financial sector’

•
The Government positively favouring UK companies in its public procurement
programme

•
The UK employment protection laws be equal to those of continental Europe

Amicus
general secretary Derek Simpson said: "Only the Government can create an
environment that limits the options of business to withhold investment. Strong
employment laws plus investment equals high productivity and jobs."

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Last
month the IPPR think-tank published a report on UK manufacturing which
predicted that if current trends continue the sector could shrink to around 10
per cent of gross domestic product and account for only 5 per cent of jobs by
2050.

By Michael Millar