29th Aug 2019 15:14
(Alliance News) - Workers from some of the UK's biggest manufacturers have warned the Government that a no-deal Brexit would lead to a collapse in investment and could spark factory closures.
A delegation led by union officials, including conveyors from factories across the country, told Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove that leaving the European Union without a deal would be a "catastrophic disaster", destroying skilled manufacturing jobs and communities.
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner warned Gove that manufacturers faced billions of pounds of extra costs every year because of the tariffs and other costs of a no-deal Brexit.
"These are global companies, which have options on where to invest their money, including other parts of the EU," Turner said after the meeting.
"They are incredibly concerned about the impact of a no-deal, but the Government has no idea how to deal with the issue. The response is broad brush, which is very dangerous for industry. I went into the meeting with very low expectations, and I wasn't disappointed," he explained.
Mr Turner said Mr Gove agreed to try to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister, adding: "We are going to push him to do that as soon as possible because it is important the Prime Minister hears directly from workers on the front line of industry."
Jude Brimble, national officer of the GMB union, said: "Ministers need to stop playing politics with people's livelihoods and put UK jobs before Boris Johnson's lust for power.
"We've already lost half-a-million jobs in the past decade. A no-deal Brexit would be a car crash for UK manufacturing. We told Gove in no uncertain terms that we must meet with the Prime Minster urgently to develop a coherent strategy to protect our vital manufacturing industries."
The officials represented workers at firms including Airbus, AstraZeneca, British Steel, Burton's Biscuits, Jaguar Land Rover, Nestle, Rolls-Royce, the Scottish whisky industry, Toyota and Vauxhall.
source: Press Association