‘No stone left unturned’

Unite began the fight to save 180 manufacturing jobs under threat of being shipped to Europe yesterday (December 13).

Swedish aerospace manufacturer SKF last week announced plans to close its Stonehouse factory near Stroud, Gloucestershire, pending consultation with union representatives.

The factory, which was built during the Second World War because it was out of range of the Luftwaffe, makes bearings for Rolls Royce aeroplane engines.

Union officials met with SKF bosses yesterday and were told the rationale behind the proposals to close the site by 2021 and move production to Italy and France is to increase profits and competitiveness.

Unite regional officer Nick Bailey said, “The management says that there are issues concerning profitability and competitiveness compared with their sites in France and Italy – we will be focusing on these claims during the consultation period and in the weekly meetings we will be holding with the company during January.

“We have nearly 100 members affected by this announcement and they are determined that no stone should be left unturned in the fight to retain the jobs at this site – in this endeavour, they have Unite’s 100 per cent support.”

The firm denied that the plans to relocate to Europe are directly linked to Brexit, with SKF automotive and aerospace division president Bernd Stephen citing the need to keep up with product developments in the aerospace industry.

Bailey said that the loss of such highly skilled jobs would be a “massive blow” for the Gloucestershire economy.

He said, “Our members make the point that the skills they have at SKF Stonehouse are unique and specific to this operation and we can’t afford to use such jobs as the UK faces challenging economic times.”