Remploy Closure Outrage
Posted by Jim Sheridan, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, at 10:30, Thu 15 November 2007:
Remploy Closure Outrage
Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Jim Sheridan expressed his anger over plans by management at Remploy to close the factory in Hillington Business Park.
The announcement on Monday that Remploy management were seeking Government permission to close the Hillington site formed part of a series of restructuring proposals. Jim Sheridan MP speaking from Westminster said, “I am very disappointed at the decision of Remploy management to close the Hillington factory. I have already spoken with the trade union representative and I will be meeting with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Peter Hain to discuss this matter. Remploy have marked two other sites in Scotland to be saved, in Aberdeen and Lanarkshire by re-tasking their workforces, I want to know why Hillington can’t also be saved. I am hoping to try and generate local support from businesses and organisations to offset the managements running down of the factory. Having visited the factory on numerous occasions I am aware of how dedicated the workforce are and their concerns about the future.”
Councillor Iain McMillan, Leader of the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council said, “Along with my colleagues in the Labour Group we have been pressing the Council to do all that they can to support Remploy in Hillington. The Council have agreed to support Remploy.”
Tom Johnston, President of the Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce said, “Plants closing is always bad news as it brings redundancy and loss of business to the area. Sometimes there are overwhelming economic reasons for this which make these unfortunate developments inevitable. However, in the case of the Remploy plant at Hillington, management’s closure proposals appear particularly harsh in two respects. Firstly, tow other plants at Wishaw and Aberdeen were threatened but have now been reprieved. Whilst this is good news for these two areas, it is a hard blow for the Hillington employees. Secondly, the 22 workers concerned are, of course, disabled, and finding jobs elsewhere will be extremely difficult for them. The Chamber urges Remploy to reconsider the situation.”
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