{"id":13560,"date":"2017-09-26T13:25:45","date_gmt":"2017-09-26T12:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=13560"},"modified":"2017-09-26T15:46:18","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T14:46:18","slug":"action-now-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=13560","title":{"rendered":"Action now call"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland are holding their breath as they await a critical decision from the US Department of Commerce at 5pm this afternoon (September 26).<\/p>\n

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In April, US aerospace company Boeing put in a complaint that its Canada-based rival Bombardier had benefited from state-aid from the Canadian and UK governments, giving them an unfair competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

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If the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s claim holds up, thousands of jobs could be at risk at Bombardier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Belfast site.<\/p>\n

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Action is needed now, Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke explained today (September 26), as he called on delegates at the Labour Party Conference to support an emergency motion demanding that the UK government step in.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bConference, on 18th<\/sup>\u00c2\u00a0September Theresa May met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss a complaint by the US aerospace company Boeing to the US Commerce Department regarding aerospace company Bombardier,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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“Bombardier in Belfast make the wings for the successful CSeries single aisle passenger jet with final assembly of the planes in Canada,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Burke noted.<\/p>\n

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He said that if Boeing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unfair competition claims are successful, Bombardier could face \u00e2\u20ac\u015bpunitive fines, threatening the very future of the Bombardier site in Belfast and in Canada.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAt present a thousand workers (or about 25 per cent), are employed on CSeries production but in four years\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 time that number is expected to rise to 60 per cent of jobs on site,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Burke highlighted.<\/p>\n

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The stakes are incredibly high because Bombardier, Burke noted, is the largest private sector employer in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThese jobs are vital to the aerospace industry and manufacturing economy and sustain many times more in the wider supply chain in the UK and Ireland,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

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UK unions are working to do all they can as they collaborate with Canadian and US unions to get the Canadian government to ensure they stop Boeing taking this action.<\/p>\n

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But the UK government has a vital role to play too, Burke said.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe company benefited from state investment from Canada and from Invest NI\u00c2\u00a0all of which was entirely lawful and legitimate\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c a fact that the UK government must now urgently clarify,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he explained.<\/p>\n

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He argued that Boeing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attempts to link this public investment to the allegations of unfair competition are unsustainable.<\/p>\n

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After all, Burke pointed out, Boeing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s claim that Bombardier had undercut the company after selling its CSeries to Delta does not quite hold water \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Boeing did not even make a bid to Delta.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe are told Theresa May had a phone conversation with President Trump on the matter,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Burke told conference.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOf course Boeing are emboldened by Trump’s America First policy and as a result thousands of skilled workers futures are in doubt,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat is needed is to end this corporate bullying by Boeing, putting these good jobs at risk.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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He highlighted that the UK government is the second largest purchaser of Boeing products including P8 marine surveillance aircraft and Apache helicopters estimated to be around \u00c2\u01414bn worth of work.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bConference, we call upon the British and Canadian governments to meet with Boeing to resolve this crisis,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added, noting that the decision from the US Department of Commerce is expected at 5pm this afternoon.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Prime minister and the government need to make it clear to Trump they will not stand back and watch our members jobs and our communities threatened like this.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bMrs May needs to stand up for our members in the\u00c2\u00a0aerospace industry and for decent jobs and for manufacturing in the UK,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Burke argued. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bShe needs some \u00e2\u20ac\u0098creative thinking\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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He paid tribute to Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recognition of the importance of an active industrial strategy and that certain sectors are of strategic significance to the economy.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe government must follow Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lead in setting out an industrial strategy that develops our manufacturing base more widely and into the future, creating good jobs across all regions, nations and communities,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he concluded, calling on delegates to support the motion.<\/p>\n

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The motion was passed.<\/p>\n

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Watch Burke’s full speech in the video below:<\/p>\n