Union urges GE bosses to delay Midlands redundancies

The GE facility at Redhill Business Park

Union leaders have urged bosses at General Electric to delay implementing redundancies which could result in the loss of 1,100 UK jobs – the bulk of them in the Midlands.

The plan, unveiled last month as part of a company-wide review, would see up to 671 job losses from the Alstom business acquired by GE only two years ago and 429 jobs from Power Conversion, also bought by GE. These are largely based in Rugby.

Unite said greater clarity was needed on the future of the four GE Power sites at Rugby and Stafford and it outlined its concerns when it met with management under the auspices of the European works council in Paris.

Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said: “Last month General Electric announced 1,100 job losses in the UK, but we are not satisfied that a coherent business case has been made for these cutbacks. There is managerial opaqueness surrounding the whole exercise.

“We are concerned that local management could be making pre-emptive decisions before the consultation guidelines have been agreed at the European works council.

“What we are talking about are highly skilled engineering and research staff – vital for this country’s post-Brexit future – whose futures are at stake.”

She said the union also wanted to probe the extent delays to government procurement decisions, such as with the £1.3bn Swansea tidal lagoon were having a bearing on the company’s decision.

If these procurement programmes were given the go-ahead then it could provide work for GE Power as part of its Power Conversion business.

“We are aware that GE wishes to commence (redundancy) consultations as soon as possible, but Unite is adamant that this should not start until the details and process have been agreed at the European level,” she added.

“This is to ensure that proper consultation with detailed information can happen at the various GE sites.

“GE must ensure that it follows the correct consultation process and allows the details of its rationale backed up with facts and figures to be analysed and questions arising answered in full.”

The sites at Rugby and Stafford have a workforce of about 2,800, and make components for power stations and naval vessels.

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