MG Rover Workers Struggle to Find Work

LONDON, September 12 -- More than six months after the closure of MG Rover in Birmingham, 60% of the workforce are still out of work.

According to an Amicus survey only 28% of the 6,000 workers are employed. Of those who have found work, only 15% are working again in manufacturing. 11% of the redundant workforce are on training courses.

Of those that have found other work the majority have experienced substantial cuts in pay, the average wage falling from nearly GBP23,000 a year at MG Rover to less than GBP8,000 in some cases. The average drop in salary for those lucky enough to find work is 15%. These figures substantiate the largest private sector union's claim that well-paid, highly skilled jobs, once lost, cannot be replaced with massive implications for local communities and the national economy.

Commenting on Amicus' survey results, Derek Simpson, General Secretary, said: "These experiences are being replicated up and down the country. Well-paid, highly skilled jobs such as these are being lost at a terrifying rate and people have to resort to low-skilled, part-time and agency work which is insecure and low-paid.

"The results for these individuals and their families cannot be underestimated, but the ramifications for our blighted manufacturing communities and the long-term future of our economy are even greater.

"The loss of our manufacturing industry is not an inevitability. Just by giving UK workers the same kind of employment protection that workers on the continent have would boost not only the fortunes of manufacturing but also help save jobs in other sectors also affected such as banking and insurance jobs."

The union say that as well as being a catastrophic 12 months for industry across the whole of the UK, with the loss of 86,000 jobs, things are particularly bad in the West Midlands which has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs including 1,150 at the Jaguar Browns Lane plant in Coventry, 300 at Landrover and Jaguar in Solihull, 700 from Peugot in Ryton and over 400 from motor components companies TRW, Stadco and GKN Driveline.

Amicus say that 20,000 UK supply chain jobs will be lost as a result from the closure of MG Rover.

Amicus wants a 'level playing field' with Europe, the extension of employment protection in the UK that exists in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium and Spain to stop UK workers being first in line when multinationals seek to make cuts.

Amicus surveyed 2,000 members who were employed at MG Rover.

Workers experiences:

Dave, aged 57. Worked as a production line operative at MG Rover on a salary of GBP23,000 pa. He's now in temporary employment as an amusement ride operative at a West Midlands Safari Park earning GBP6 per hour, that's GBP7,200 pa. He works GBP12 hour shifts, six days a week.

"I am just grateful to have a job to be honest. It's difficult enough to find work but even more so when you're my age. This is a stop gap I hope, I'll be employed until November and I am looking around for other work. The money isn't great though, I am still having to dip into my redundancy money to keep the wolf from the door."

Lesley, aged 54. Worked as a calibrations specialist at MG Rover on a salary of GBP21,000 pa. He now works as a school caretaker on half the salary, GBP11,500.

"I have experienced a 50% cut in salary but at least I am in a job where the pension prospects are reasonable. You hear a different tone in people's voices when you call up about jobs and they ask your age and then you know it's don't call us, we'll call you.

"There may be jobs out there but they pay anything up to half of what we were earning at Longbridge."

John, aged 40. Worked as buyoff/production inspector at MG Rover for 16 years on a salary of GBP21,000. Undergoing training as an HGV driver and a fork lift truck driver and hopes to qualify in October this year. He has a five year old son.

"This was my fifth choice of an alternative career and I am not under any illusions about what kind of money is on offer. Christmas is coming and the pressure is on to find a job. I am expecting to be earning in the region of GBP15,000 - GBP16,000 per year but the main thing is to get a job. There will be a big drop in income I know that.

"The last job I went for was for a warehouse distribution centre worker for GBP16,000 a year. They closed the vacancy with over 250 applications."

Ramesh, aged 54. Worked at MG Rover for 28 years as retrimmer at MG Rover on a salary of GBP27,000 per annum. He is married with three children. Ramesh has been looking for a job and is training, full time, to be a plumber. His training will end in December.

"I am still looking at jobs in industry but don't really hold any hope of getting a job in the sector again. I am hoping to get a job with the council as a plumber when I finish the course. It won't be well paid job but at least it's a guaranteed job and something I can do until I retire.

"I am struggling on job seekers allowance, only spending money on bus fares. I am not looking forward to Job Seekers Allowance running out in October but hope to be back at work early in the new year."

Catherine Bithell, Amicus press office, Tel: +44-(0)207-420-8909 or +44-(0)7958-473-224