UNION FEARS OVER £1.6BN SHIP DEAL
A UNION boss has warned the Government against handing a £1.6billion Royal Navy shipbuilding deal to an Indian firm over “safety concerns”.
Mumbai-based Larsen &
Toubro has been accused of “exploitative” labour standards. Union GMB reckons there were 95,000 serious injuries at the firm last year, with 91 deaths in the last three years and staff paid around a third of UK shipbuilders.
The Fleet Solid Support deal for three 40,000-tonne vessels to resupply our aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates is expected to be
awarded later in 2022. The four on the shortlist include Team UK – Babcock and BAE Systems.
GMB general secretary Gary Smith has written to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and leadership hopefuls Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
He said: “There are real safety concerns. Strong defence manufacturing is essential to our security.”
Larsen & Toubro were approached for comment.