Union warns SNP to buy British

14 April 2008

The UK’s largest trade union, Unite, is warning the Scottish Government not to award a £150 million rail contract to a foreign train manufacturer.

Unite says it fears that the SNP government is intent on awarding a First Scot Rail contract for 120 new train carriages to train manufacturer Siemens which builds trains in the Czech Republic and fits them out in Germany. 

The union is backing a rival bid from Bombardier which employs 1800 people at a site in Derby and uses a predominantly UK supply base, involving key Scottish suppliers.

John Quigley, Unite Regional Secretary for Unite trade union, said: "This is a prime opportunity for the SNP to back UK plc. If they award this lucrative contract to Bombardier thousands of Scottish and UK workers will benefit but if they give it to Siemens, jobs may even be lost.

"We have serious misgivings that the SNP intend to let this work go abroad which will be a travesty for UK manufacturing. We are demanding an urgent meeting with the Scottish government to make the case for the bid that will see UK workers, both north and south of the border, benefit."

As well as sending its’ production abroad, Unite says that Siemens’ is fiercely anti-union and resists trade union representation in its plants.

Bombardier is the UK’s last train manufacturer, employing 1800 people in its Derby plant. Bombardier’s Scots Rail bid also seeks to maximise the input of the Scottish suppliers.

The First Scot Rail order is for 120 cars to run on the Glasgow/Ayr and the Glasgow Airport route.

Two weeks ago trade unions expressed anger when the Scottish government awarded a new rail operator franchise to Scot Rail without consultation.