Rolls Royce: Barnoldswick Dispute

From Unite the Union:

#BattleforBarnoldswick & #SaveOurSite

OUR members are due to start strike action at Rolls Royce Barnoldswick on Friday 6thNovember 2020, they are taking this courageous action to fight for the future of their site and their community. We have provided notice that we are taking a number of key departments out for at least 3 weeks, after our members returned a huge 94% yes vote for strike action.

The dispute is over compulsory redundancies as 83% of the world wide job losses made at Rolls Royce have come in the UKand the company has announced it will transfer Fan blade work fromthe site to Singapore,this is dispite the fact the Government has used tax payers money to;•Provide a £1.6bn government Guarantee for £2bn loans to Roll Royce•Is due to provide a further guarantee for £1 bn of refinancing support•Provided a £300m coronavirus loan•Invested over £600m in research and development over the last 20 years, whilst off shoring over 20,000 UK jobs•Contributed a further £75m + in furlough payments• & there couldbe a loss of £9m a year just from the tax and NI from the workers employed at the site. A number of branches have been in touch to ask how they can show their solidarity and our members would like you tokeep checking the campaign page,complete the actions sign the petition, watch the full (updated) video or email your MPhttps://unitetheunion.org/RRSaveourSiteand share this link.

They have had great support on social media with people using #BattleforBarnoldswick & #SaveOurSite if you wish to do the

same. Our members have a dispute fund so they are not asking for financial donations for the strike but if you do want to send a donation to their branch they will use this to make a donation to local food banks as the area is struggling with job losses,the impacts of Covid-19 and the local Tory MPs recently voted against extending free school meals for children living in povertythe Pendle constituencyhas 37% child poverty. The branch and the workforce regularly donate to charitable causes including foodbanks and the local cancer hospice, all of which will not be possible if the site is closed, this will also highlight the knock on effects of loosing employment beyond the immediate factory gates.Cheques can be made to NW 2B 0062 Branch.

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