July 5th 2011 - Hundreds of jobs axed as Government hands contract to German firm

5 July 2011

Tags: EU , Bombardier , EGF , East Midlands , jobs , Germany

Hundreds of jobs axed as Government hands contract to German firm  

'..UKIP's Derbyshire MEP Derek Clark says Government has again let down British workers ..'

                                              - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

                                        

                                            UK Independence Party

                       From the Office of Derek Clark, MEP, East Midlands

                       Rowan House, 23 Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5AT 

 

Tel: 01604 620064     Fax: 01604 636002

Email: mep@derekclarkmep.org.uk

Web: www.derekclarkmep.org.uk

July 05, 2011

Ref: 021

 

 

 

 

As hundreds of workers reel from the shock of losing their jobs, MEP Derek Clark accused the Government of again letting down British workers.

Engineering firm Bombardier has confirmed almost 1,500 jobs will be axed at its Derby factory, the last train manufacturing plant in Britain.

The firm announced the cuts after losing out on a lucrative contract to build new Thameslink trains. The Government gave the contract to a consortium led by German rival Siemens, the company at the centre of EU Parliamentary questions earlier this year over its practices.

East Midlands UKIP MEP Derek Clark said: "Yet again, this Government, following in the footsteps of its past governments, has let down British workers.

"Whatever happened to British jobs for British workers?

"This is terrible news for Derbyshire and for the region and country as a whole. Derbyshire has a proud tradition of manufacturing trains and this is regrettable news.

"Workers will not easily find a comparable job near home and have been let down by successive governments which have not made better efforts to retain manufacturing in this country and have simply caved in to EU pressure.

"While we are in the EU we cannot do anything about competition rules and we cannot do anything to stop manufacturers going elsewhere."

The firm said 446 permanent positions and 986 contract roles would be affected by the decision.

Mr Clark said the news followed the revelation Northampton engineering firm Cosworth is to lose its biggest Formula 1 client to Renault.

 

About Us:

 

The UK Independence Party exists because none of the old traditional political parties are prepared to accept that the real government of Britain is now being transferred to Brussels.

Our purpose is to restore the authority for governing Britain to our elected parliament in Westminster. We believe that decisions made on behalf of people are made closest to the people, be they local, national or international decisions, which informs our wide-ranging manifesto covering issues right across the political spectrum