Further to yesterday’s announcement that Remploy are closing 36 of 54 factories with potential compulsory redundancies totalling 1752, including 28 staff at the Edinburgh factory, Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, has written to Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and pensions, John Swinney Scottish Cabinet Secretary and Peter Gabbitas Director of Health and Social Care at The City of Edinburgh Council asking for all national and local government agencies to work together to try and minimise the possible impact on the employees based at the Edinburgh factory.
Ian Murray also demanded the Government Minster come back to the House of Commons last night to answer questions on this despicable decision by the Tory Government. Ian Murray questioned the Minister in the House of Commons. Murray said:- “In 2007, the Conservatives said they would do all they could to support Remploy when they were in government. Does the Minister agree that the shambolic and shameful way the statement has been made today epitomises the Government’s cavalier and out-of-touch attitude to vulnerable people, and represents a broken promise to the dozens of disabled people in Edinburgh who are losing their jobs tonight?”
Ian Murray continued:- “I am deeply concerned about the impact the closure of the Edinburgh factory will have on the employees, as they are some of the most vulnerable workers in Edinburgh. I have asked The Secretary of State, the Scottish Government and the Council to do all they can to assist and support the workers given the difficult position they now find themselves in, with 90 days to plan their future. The government must recognise that they are dealing with the most vulnerable members of the workforce and I have demanded that Ministers look again at the decision. This Tory led Government have consistently attacked the most vulnerable and think that their lack of a growth strategy will be resolved by sacking rather than backing workers.”
