Defiant Remploy Strikes Boost Jobs Fight -
From Barking to to Bridgend and from Derbyshire to Dundee, up and down the country Remploy workers walked-out on strike together in defiance of Tory plans throw them on the scrapheap.
Last week, the Minister for Disabled People, Maria “Factory Killer” Miller announced the closure of 27 of the 54 Remploy factories meaning the sacking of more than 1,200 mainly disabled workers.
The outrage at this callous Tory decision was not only reflected in the solid strikes, the first of two 24-hour stoppages (the next being next Thursday 26th July), but also in the solidarity from other workers on display at each picket line.
Teachers, council staff , IT workers, construction workers, students and more brought banners and collections to the picket-lines. Postal workers and lorry-drivers refused to cross picket lines.
The stand taken by Unite and GMB members at Remploy is an example to the whole trade union movement about how to fight job losses.
Work and Pensions minister Iain Duncan Smith says that he says that he wants to get disabled workers into mainstream employment or “proper jobs”.
Daniel Garvin’s film on the Guardian website contradicts IDS’s despicable insult that Remploy workers were “not doing any work… just making cups of coffee”
But millions can see through the Tories – they know that with more than 2.5 million unemployed and disability benefits being slashed, the standard of living for many Remploy workers will be immeasurably damaged, should their factories close.
Since the last wave of Remploy factory closures in 2008, 85% of those made redundant have not worked since, and 95% of those that found employment were on less pay.
Today’s marvellous show of solidarity was a step towards winning the battle for jobs. Next week the picket-lines need to be bigger and a strategy implemented for forcing another Tory U-turn and saving the factories.
(Above reposted courtesy of Right to Work. For full article see http://righttowork.org.uk/2012/07/defiant-remploy-strikes-boost-jobs-fight/)
At the Barking factory in East London more than seventy workers, their families and supporters came to support the picket throughout the day. Just one day earlier the factory workers had learned that the date they have been given for closure is 30th September. Although shocked and upset the strike day was a chance to rally round and rebuild confidence and spirits.
A DOZEN striking workers gathered outside Remploy Acton on Thursday. They were joined by local trade unionists from Ealing council, as well as by John McDonnell MP.
ellen
As a disabled adult the closure of many of the Remploy Factories makes no sense to me – flies in the face of the Goverments claims to help disabled people into work, worse still ensure the previous employed remploy staff will be reliant on benefits – affecting ever aspect of their lives and their famlies lives (no doubt great effecting people’s self esteem and confidence too).
I’m involved in “Liverpool against the Cuts” who are apposing many of the unfair cuts that are happening!
All the very best for your campaign, I’ve signed the online petition aginst the closure of the factories and just wwanted to offer you my support!
Deb Lynch – Liverpool
EBSI UK Ltd as an organisation have worked with Remploy Acton for many years. The staff there have supported our work experience programme for young disabled people to try and give them the opportunity to experience working life after school. What hope do they now have when a major provider of jobs for disabled people is being closed with barely a thought for the staff? Finding work experience let alone jobs is hard enough for non-disabled people in this current climate.