{"id":11353,"date":"2017-02-03T15:21:35","date_gmt":"2017-02-03T15:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=11353"},"modified":"2017-02-07T11:30:18","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T11:30:18","slug":"emerging-stronger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=11353","title":{"rendered":"Emerging stronger"},"content":{"rendered":"
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More than 200 concerned Unite reps and shop stewards gathered at the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first Brexit conference yesterday (February 2) to discuss Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s upcoming negotiations with the EU.<\/p>\n

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The North West conference, held in Liverpool, came as the government published its Brexit white paper<\/a>. The paper reiterated the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan of leaving the single market and the customs union \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a red line for the representatives in attendance.<\/p>\n

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One aerospace<\/a> industry rep spoke about the need for engaging workforces to help rein in the government.<\/p>\n

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He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur industry relies on supply chains across the EU. If the Brexit negotiations don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go right there will be a major impact on jobs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it makes you worry. We need to engage our members in the workplace on Brexit and inform of them of the dangers that are facing us if our voices aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t heard.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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The aerospace industry is just one of many that would be dealt a severe blow if tariff-free access to the single market isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t retained and default sector tariffs are imposed.<\/p>\n

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If negotiators fail to reach an agreement within two years, UK exporters could face costs of \u00c2\u01415.2bn in tariffs on goods sold to the EU, while EU exporters could face \u00c2\u014112.9bn in tariffs on goods entering Britain.<\/p>\n

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In a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bhard Brexit\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 deal, the UK automotive<\/a> industry would face 10 per cent tariffs on exports to Europe, which were worth more than \u00c2\u014110bn in 2015 and made up 49 per cent of all UK car exports. Imports used by the UK car industry would be slapped with a 4 per cent tariff.<\/p>\n

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The car industry trade body, SMMT, has said such a situation will add \u00c2\u01411,500 in on-costs for every UK car.<\/p>\n

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Sectors such as chemicals<\/a> would also be badly affected \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 60 per cent of chemical industry exports from the UK are to the EU and chemicals are the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s largest manufacturing exporter.<\/p>\n

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It is also anticipated that such a Brexit<\/a> would add up to 30 per cent on the cost of food manufactured in the UK.<\/p>\n

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Skilled jobs under threat <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking at the conference, Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHundreds of thousands\u00c2\u00a0of skilled jobs\u00c2\u00a0in\u00c2\u00a0science, automotives,\u00c2\u00a0aerospace, engineering and manufacturing\u00c2\u00a0are now under threat. These jobs\u00c2\u00a0form\u00c2\u00a0the backbone of the UK economy\u00c2\u00a0-\u00c2\u00a0for every single job in manufacturing, four jobs are supported elsewhere.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe government does not have a coherent plan and has failed in our view to listen to the voice, not\u00c2\u00a0only\u00c2\u00a0of\u00c2\u00a0workers, but also of manufacturing industry. The\u00c2\u00a0EEF, CIA, ADS, UKPIA , the SMMT and the Ceramics Confederation agree with our aims and we are involved in establishing a consensus on the need for the government to listen to the voice of\u00c2\u00a0industry and our members.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Burke was also scornful of Theresa May\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ambitions of offsetting loses incurred through less EU<\/a> trade by striking deals across the globe. He pointed out that her plans were already being scuppered by Donald Trump on one side and Europe on the other.<\/p>\n

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In January, Trump scrapped the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal between the US and 11 Pacific Rim nations \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a move which could result in the EU taking advantage of newly opened markets.<\/p>\n

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Outflanked <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bGermany has\u00c2\u00a0already started to outflank\u00c2\u00a0us.\u00c2\u00a0Last week Merkel said\u00c2\u00a0that the EU\u00c2\u00a0and Germany could negotiate trade agreements with other countries, including those in the\u00c2\u00a0TPP\/Pacific Rim countries who are now left high and dry\u00c2\u00a0and also\u00c2\u00a0with\u00c2\u00a0countries such as Australia and China,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Burke said.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis will effectively\u00c2\u00a0lock out the UK\u00c2\u00a0-\u00c2\u00a0leaving us\u00c2\u00a0to pick up anything that\u00c2\u00a0Trump throws at us. Having access to\u00c2\u00a0the single market and the customs union must be preferable to the ongoing and almost unlimited chaos that we believe we will face in manufacturing if we have a Hard Brexit.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Mobilisation\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s north west regional secretary Mick Whitley said the conference was the start of taking up the task of responding to Brexit and called for the mobilisation of the entire union.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur job is to\u00c2\u00a0make sure\u00c2\u00a0that trade\u00c2\u00a0union principles\u00e2\u20ac\u201c decent work,\u00c2\u00a0guaranteed rights and a strong voice for working people \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are at the heart of Post-Brexit Britain.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to achieve that we need to do two things \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we need to prepare our members for what is to come, and we must campaign for our own vision, and use it to unite our members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Whitley.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe must go on the offensive and push for our own demands. From the outset, Unite has been clear that the only way to mitigate the impact of Brexit for our members is with an ambitious industrial strategy.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAs trade unionists it is our job to make sure the voice of working people is heard \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to make sure that our industries and communities not only weather the coming storm, but emerge stronger from it.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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