Workers from the Alstom train manufacturing works in Derby assembled at Parliament today (6 December) to lobby MPs in defence of their jobs.
Trade union Unite organised the protest in London, and then met with parliamentarians to put forward their case against job cuts.
The union has condemned what it calls “the government's ongoing mismanagement of the pipeline for new train and refurbishment projects coupled with the delay in the HS2 project”. It blames this for Alstom facing “a considerable black hole in its order book” despite having been awarded the contract to build the new HS2 trains jointly with Hitachi.
Three months ago, Unite urged the government to step up its efforts to protect jobs at Alstom.
In November, Alstom threatened that it might make around 1,300 workers redundant due to the situation. Unite reckons that at least nine hundred jobs in Alstom's supply chain are also at risk.
Alstom's site in Derby opened in 1876, and is the only train factory in the UK which can design, engineer, build and test trains for the UK and for export.
Unite members lobbied Parliament during Prime Ministers Questions. The union's members at Alstom also attended when Nick Crossfield, managing director of Alstom UK and Ireland, gave evidence to the transport select committee earlier in the day.
Unite regional secretary Paresh Patel said: “Alstom's Derby factory underpins the East Midlands' rail supply chain, the largest in the UK. Unless a solution is found, there will be terrible consequences for the city, the region and the UK's rail industry.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will do everything that is required to secure the future of the Alstom workforce. The government's failure to properly plan its procurement process cannot and will not be allowed to threaten the livelihoods of our members. If the government, allows this to happen it will be a gross betrayal of the workforce and the people of Derby.
“Rail workers in Derby deserve better than this, their futures have been thrown into jeopardy by issues beyond their control. Ministers can't be allowed to wash their hands of this crisis and they must come forward with a just solution. Equally, Alstom needs to play its part and invest in the site to reinforce its position as a world leader in train manufacturing.”
Would any business (other than SWT) want to order new Aventra trains and expect to wait 4 years + to possibly get them into service?
I suspect our friends in the unions want things both ways.
It would be sad to see jobs lost at Alstom Derby factory since Alstom (who brought the factory from Bombardier Transportation) continued on the mass production of the Aventra rolling stocks for train operators. Including Greater Anglia, SWR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line and the London Underground 2009 Stock and S-Stocks. I hope that it can be saved and for Alstom to continue on manufacturing more new Aventra trains and new HS2 trains.
And also c2c.