Vote of confidence

The £1bn contract to build trains for the newly awarded East Anglian rail franchise by Derby-based Bombardier was hailed as ‘a vote of confidence’ in UK manufacturing by Unite today (August 10).

Canadian-based Bombardier, which has its main UK centre in Derby, has won the ÂŁ1bn contract to supply 660 carriages in a move that will secure 1,000 jobs for a decade. It came as the government announced its decision to award the East Anglian franchise to Abellio until 2025.

“This is excellent news for the workers at Bombardier and this vote of confidence by Abellio East Anglia is a testament to their dedication, expertise and hard work. It is also good for the wider local economy and the supply chain,” said Unite national officer for the rail industry Tony Murphy.

“This boost for industrial production in the East Midlands shows that, despite the challenges posed by the Brexit vote on June 23, the UK manufacturing sector is open for business and remains amongst the global leaders for high-quality engineering,” he added.

“At this time of economic challenges, as ministers wrestle with what exactly Brexit means, the fact that 1,000 highly-skilled jobs have been safeguarded for the next decade is to be applauded.

“Following the Bombardier news, Unite awaits with interest what the new ‘industrial strategy’, as promised by prime minister Theresa May, will actually mean,” Murphy went on to say. “Unite looks forward to discussing the make-up of such a strategy with the new business secretary Greg Clark.”