5 December, 2011
The manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom is under attack from the Tory government and its destructive policy of austerity cuts. ICEM’s UK affiliate Unite at its National Sector Conferences last week set out a new strategy to revive and rebuild the industry.
The strategy document, put forward by Unite Assistant General Secretary Tony Burke, underlines the vital importance of the manufacturing sector to the British economy, a sector built on a highly skilled workforce. The strategy paper calls for investment in skills, apprenticeships and for full utilization of modern technologies, for a long-term solution.
Tony Burke, Unite
The need for this investment is even greater, according to Burke, as Tory Chancellor George Osborne’s austerity cuts are crippling consumer domestic demand. Government policy which seeks to shift the bill for economic failure onto the working men and women of Britain is hitting Unite members across its sectors. At last week’s National Sector Conferences, examples were discussed from Aerospace, Shipbuilding, Engineering, Chemicals, Sciences, Print, Paper, IT, Vehicle Building, Motor Components, Steel, Servicing, Communications, Electronics and Electrical Engineering.
In the document Unite proposes ten pillars upon which a manufacturing revival should be based:
• Build a framework of policies to defend strategically important industries.
• Continued financial support through interventionist policies.
• Targeted support for small and medium sized enterprises.
• Better use of government purchasing power to secure manufacturing jobs in the UK.
• Maximising the opportunities that the low carbon revolution offers.
• Delivery of an education and skills framework, which meets all industry’s needs.
• Creating a university structure, which builds on the science base so necessary to secure high skilled jobs.
• Create right investment environment for research and development.
• Creation of a level playing field to deliver security and fair pricing for energy.
• A framework of legislation, which promotes transparency and engagement for all stakeholders in the future of manufacturing.
“Manufacturing should be driving our economy, but the government has no strategy for UK manufacturing. This Tory-led government is doing more damage to UK manufacturing than any previous Conservative government,” stated Burke, “If this government is serious about rebalancing the economy, we need to invest in the UK’s manufacturing skills base with a long-term solution.