Government must take immediate action to protect and support UK manufacturing and industry
Unite, the UK’s leading union, is urging the government to take immediate action to ensure that UK workers do not pay the price for the decision of the US government to impose tariffs on UK goods.
Measures Unite is calling for the government to implement include:
• An immediate reduction in industrial energy prices which make UK goods uncompetitive
• Designating the steel industry a critical national infrastructure area to ensure that all UK infrastructure projects use UK steel
• Complete reform of the ZEV mandate for UK produced cars
• Commitment to buy British goods wherever possible, including purchasing new UK built Typhoon jets and not American made F-35s.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The government cannot allow a situation where yet again UK workers pay the price. It is likely that some employers will now use the issue of tariffs at the bargaining table, in an attempt to push down pay.
“In an increasingly uncertain world the government has to step in and step up to protect UK workers and industry. This tariff announcement is a wake up call. Nothing should be taken off the table, we now need a package of measures to support UK manufacturing and jobs.
“As a starter that must include reducing industrial energy costs, buying British and a total reform of ZEV mandates to protect not penalise UK car makers.
“Now more than ever workers and our industries need to be proactively backed.”'
ENDS