8 November 2005
Amicus, Britain's biggest private sector union, has today branded the government's announcement to close the fast jet aircraft maintenance facility, DARA, St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan that will cost thousands of jobs elsewhere, an absolute disgrace.
Amicus says the decision which will potentially put the UK armed forces in jeopardy and cost millions of pounds of taxpayer's money and says it cannot rule out possible industrial action by members it says have been betrayed by the government.
The announcement will see the £130 million military aircraft repair facility, DARA at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan all but close, with the loss of 800 jobs, and the loss of more than 225 jobs lost from Fleetlands, near Southampton. The announcement will also see three military land vehicle repair stations close, (ABRO) Donnington in North Wales, Warminster in Wiltshire and Colchester in Essex, costing 1226 jobs.
Amicus' General Secretary, Derek Simpson, said: "The government's announcement to close DARA is absolutely disgraceful. It is a total waste of taxpayers money and will potentially put our armed forces in jeopardy.
"There has not been proper consultation with the unions over the announced closures and the decision has been made without giving the Defence Select Committee, currently investigating the decision to remove work from DARA, to report. This is an absolute slap in the face to Parliament and MP's and to our highly skilled members who face being thrown on the scrapheap for what we believe are political, not economic or strategic military reasons."
Laurence Faircloth, Amicus National Officer for Government Departments, said: "By putting the security of the nation into the hands of private industry, the government is putting the defence of the UK and the wellbeing of our land, air and sea armed forces at risk. It is also exposing UK taxpayers to massive increase in costs through a monopoly situation that are completely untried and untested."
This announcement closely follows the announcement by BAE Land Systems to close two major sites that were transferred to them by the MoD in the past.
How can we have a strategic Defence Policy in the UK if there is a requirement to rely on private companies and foreign governments to guarantee services not based on price but on strategic need?
Amicus has been leading a campaign against the decision to remove fast jet maintenance and repair work from DARA St. Athan.
The union claims that work already taken from DARA is being done by private contractors, not the RAF which has neither the capabilities or the facilities to do the work.
The evidence Amicus has submitted to the Defence Select Committee demonstrates that the work removed is being done to a poorer standard, much more slowly and at a vastly inflated price. Amicus says that more than £120 million of taxpayers money will also be wasted if DARA in South Glamorgan is allowed to close. The state of the art facility was only formally opened in April this year.
The Defence Select Committee is due to report on their recommendations on the frontline future capability for the repair of military aircraft in the New Year.
