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06/07/2004
UK manufacturing is the 'weak wildebeest' of European industry claims TUC report
A TUC report published today has claimed that government support for UK manufacturing is the lowest in Europe and that the UK has lost 750,000 manufacturing jobs since 1997, a quarter of these in high tech industries, while manufacturing employment has boomed in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
‘Manufacturing now: delivering the manufacturing strategy’, published ahead of a major TUC manufacturing conference on July 15, shows that the dramatic decline of UK manufacturing compared with the rest of Europe is due primarily to a lack of government support, weak work rights and low levels of business investment.
The report concludes that the chief threat to UK industry is higher investment and productivity in the manufacturing sectors of our major competitors. The report says that employers are wrong to use the threat of jobs going to Eastern Europe or Asia to keep down pay, increase hours and block improvements to workers rights.
Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said: “For ‘Made in the UK’ to survive and thrive we must catch up with the rest of the pack. With continuing low levels of government support and chronic under-investment, coupled with a workforce that is easy to flog and easy to sack, UK manufacturing will remain the weak wildebeest of European industry.
“These are the drivers of recovery on which the government’s manufacturing strategy review must focus.”
(GB)
‘Manufacturing now: delivering the manufacturing strategy’, published ahead of a major TUC manufacturing conference on July 15, shows that the dramatic decline of UK manufacturing compared with the rest of Europe is due primarily to a lack of government support, weak work rights and low levels of business investment.
The report concludes that the chief threat to UK industry is higher investment and productivity in the manufacturing sectors of our major competitors. The report says that employers are wrong to use the threat of jobs going to Eastern Europe or Asia to keep down pay, increase hours and block improvements to workers rights.
Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said: “For ‘Made in the UK’ to survive and thrive we must catch up with the rest of the pack. With continuing low levels of government support and chronic under-investment, coupled with a workforce that is easy to flog and easy to sack, UK manufacturing will remain the weak wildebeest of European industry.
“These are the drivers of recovery on which the government’s manufacturing strategy review must focus.”
(GB)
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