Urgent talks call

Unite has called for urgent talks with the Marshall Group, one of Cambridge’s biggest employers, following the company’s  announcement today (May 14) that it plans to move out of the city by 2030.

Unite, which has 900 highly skilled engineering members at the Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, said that it is ‘very disappointed’ that the union was not involved in the discussions about the move before today’s statement.

“We are calling for urgent talks with Marshall’s management to explore the full implications of today’s announcement to consider new sites outside Cambridge.  Unite’s priority is to ensure our members’ future employment security,” said Unite regional officer Roger Dillon.

“Even though the move is not due to 2030, there will be obvious worries for the workforce as to what the future holds and how it will impact on their jobs. We are talking about highly skilled engineering jobs that are part of the lifeblood of the vibrant Cambridge economy.

“Unite is very disappointed that we were not involved in the discussions prior to the announcement. However, we now seek to be fully consulted going forward, with other stakeholders such as the local authorities, over the future of the Marshall Group that is so integral to the health of the regional economy.

“While we appreciate the need for more housing in the Cambridge area, especially affordable housing, there has to be a balance struck with the need to preserve such key engineering jobs that are essential for the city’s economic well-being.

“We will be canvassing our members in the days and week ahead for their views on this proposed move. We will be commenting more fully once we have analysed the plan in detail.”

The Marshall Group is one of the UK’s top privately owned family businesses with a history in Cambridge stretching back to 1909.