MP and union bid to rescue Spitfire factory and 519 jobs
LAST-DITCH efforts are being made to save an engineering plant that played a crucial role in making Battle of Britain Spitfires and cannons for the Battle of Waterloo.
MPs and workers at the 262year-old GKN site in Erdington, Birmingham, want the Government to step in to save more than 519 jobs.
Local MP and Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jack Dromey has accused owners Melrose Industries of betraying pledges given to the workforce when it took over the historic plant three years ago.
Melrose is planning to move production to Poland and France. The union Unite has a rescue plan which Mr Dromey said should be the basis of a deal to save the plant.
He said: “Melrose promised a bright future to GKN’s employees, a promise they have now broken.
“The company wants to close a world-class automotive factory and exporting production to Europe. That would be a betrayal of British workers, a betrayal of British industry and a betrayal of the British national interest.” Unite believes job losses in the supply chain for the plant could be twice that of its workforce and have a devastating effect locally. Mr Dromey added: “If this Government means what it says about levelling up, it must start here and now with an urgent solution to keeping the plant open.”
A Melrose spokesman said the closure is under formal consultation with the workforce, adding “our actions since acquiring GKN have 100% complied with the commitments we gave the Government at the time of acquisition”.