Remploy Factory Closures
Today Remploy announced cost-cutting plans to close 43 of its factories across Britain. A total of 32 of Remploy's 83 factories will close and a further 11 will merge with other sites under the cuts. Remploy said 2,270 disabled people and 280 non-disabled workers would be affected by the closures in England and Scotland and Wales.
Remploy says it wants to place 2,270 disabled people into mainstream employment.
Unions called for the sites to stay open and criticised six disability charities who have backed the closures.
Phil Davies, national officer for the GMB union, said: "We do not accept this level of closures and we will fight to maintain the current factory network.
"The trade unions do not accept the financial arguments that have been put forward and we are concerned at the way the company has conducted itself in the last few weeks, including leaking information to the media."
Mr Davies also accused six charities which had supported closure plans of acting in a "despicable manner".
Mencap, Mind, Radar, Scope, Leonard Cheshire and the Royal National Institute of Deaf People have said disabled people were more likely to have fulfilling lives by working in an "inclusive environment".
Mr Davies said unions would consult their members but he raised the prospect of a national industrial action ballot across workers at the 83 factories.
A group of Remploy workers protesting outside the news conference. held banners saying "save our factories".
Les Woodward, a disabled worker based in Swansea, said: "We feel frustrated and totally betrayed by the company and the government.
"This has come as a complete shock to us all - we did not expect such decimation. They have declared war on us."
The following Remploy factories will close under the plans: Aberdare, Aberdeen, Abertillery, Aintree, Ashington, Bradford, Bridgend, Brixton (London), Halifax, Hartlepool, Hillington (Glasgow), Hull, Leatherhead, Leicester, Lydney (Forest of Dean), Manchester, Mansfield, Medway, Pinxton (Derbyshire), Plymouth, Poole, St Helens, Southend, Spennymoor, Stockton, Treforest, Wigan, Wisbech, Wishaw (Lanarkshire), Worksop, Wrexham and York.
The following factories will merge with another site: Barnsley, Birkenhead, Brynamman, Jarrow, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Pontefract, Redruth, Southampton, Stockport, Woolwich (London) and Ystradgynlais.
A final decision on their fate will be taken later this year.
Source BBC News Website
posted by simply human @ 8:57 pm
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I am an able bodied person who worked at Remploy Print Works in Sharston for 17 happy years. I am to say the least Gob smacked at the closures. When I started in 1972 I was a young girl who had never come into contact with "Disabled People", what a lot they taught me, OK Remploy was never the best payer going, some of the work (banding soap) folding thousands of manilla folders for HMSO, was mind boggleing boring, but the people I worked with - did it and did it well, they were proud that they were working, contributing to their own community, not living on charity, not drawing the dole.
Remploy was never set up to be a profit making organisation, it has always been subsidised by Government.
It was set up to offer people who would find it difficult to work in the mainstream a chance to work for their living, to give them pride.
John Brazendale, worked as our receptionist for a quite a number of years, he was held in high esteerm by everyone who knew him - including most of the members of the board. - John was spastic (if this is the incorrect term I apologise) he found it hard to walk, and because of his hands could not work in the finishing section,But he could meet and greet , phone, and talk. John Brazendale was Remploy Print Works.
Sue - Polio mylitis - she worked in the office facing me, Gill - thalidamyde - another office worker who could type a storm.
Remploy was set up for these people - They shone -
I am not sure if this will do any good, but I am so sorry to hear the news.
Gillian Robinson (nee Scanlon)
Ex Remploy Print works Aug. 72 - Jan. 89.
Thanks for that Gillian. Thats a lot of history there and a happy history by all accounts. John Brazendale comes across as a real character.
Sadly, I also fear that many of the Remploy workers will suffer greatly as a result of the closures. All this must be pretty hard for a lot of them to take in.
What line of work are you in now Gillian?
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