Rolls-Royce staff have been written off, says Newlands
Newlands hits out at government ‘disgrace’ and says Rolls-Royce workers have been left...
The UK Government has been branded a “disgrace” for its handling of the RollsRoyce jobs crisis.
Gavin Newlands MP says Westminster has failed to offer the company targeted support in order to save the 700 jobs threatened at its Inchinnan site.
Rolls-Royce announced in May it was axing half of its 1,300- strong workforce at the plant, blaming the global downturn following the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, says the UK Government appears to have “given up” on the workers after a senior minister told him significant job losses in the sector are “inevitable.”
He told the Paisley Daily Express the actions of Nadhim Zahawi, minister for Business and Industry, were “indicative of a government that has already written Inchinnan off”.
The 700 Rolls- Royce workers threatened with redundancy have been abandoned by the UK Government, MP Gavin Newlands has said.
The aerospace giant announced in May it was axing 700 jobs at its Inchinnan plant - more than half of the 1,300-strong workforce, - blaming the global downturn following the coronavirus pandemic.
But Mr Newlands says the UK Government appears to “have given up” on trying to save these jobs following a letter from UK Minister for Business and Industry Nadhim Zahawi.
The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North says Mr Zahawi has failed to identify any specific support for the plant when pushed for targeted relief.
“To say I am disappointed with the UK Government’s response would be putting it mildly – it is a disgrace,” Mr Newlands said.
“In a 700-word letter the minister mentions Inchinnan just once – that is indicative of a government that has already written Inchinnan off.
“He says they are interested in securing the medium and longterm future. So am I. But without a short-term future there will be no future at Rolls-Royce for the staff who face losing their jobs.”
He added: “Rolls- Royce Inchinnan is world-class site with a world-leading workforce and there is still time for the UK Government to step up and recognise that fact with support and action to keep these jobs at Inchinnan and build a long-term future for all who rely on the plant for their livelihoods.”
Mr Zahawi said the UK Government had made no less than £2.16 billion available to airlines and aerospace companies through its Covid Corporate Financing Facility.
He said further support is also available through the £1.95 billion aerospace research and development fund, while UK Export Finance is also expected to provide £3.5bn of support to the aerospace sector over the next 18 months.
Mr Zahawi said it is up to RollsRoyce to apply for any of these funds.
In his letter to Mr Newlands, Mr Zahawi added: “With airlines cancelling and deferred aircraft orders, resulting in Airbus and Boeing reducing production rates by between 30 and 40 per cent and the sector not expected to return to growth for several years, it is inevitable that there will need to be significant job losses in the sector.
“That is why Warren East, CEO of Rolls- Royce, made clear that although the various business support measures had been helping companies through the crisis initially, no government can replace sustainable customer demand that is simply not there.
“Therefore, our focus is on securing the medium and longterm future of the sector, dong all we can to stop medium and smallsized companies from closing.”
Rolls-Royce Inchinnan is a world-class site with a world-leading workforce