Southampton’s Remploy factory axed (From Daily Echo)
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Southampton’s Remploy factory axed by Government
12:20pm Wednesday 11th July 2012 in Southampton
Southern Daily Echo
A Southampton factory that employs disabled people is to close, ministers have confirmed.
Remploy’s Southampton branch, in West Quay Road, is one of 27 across the country to be axed, and will close between August and mid-December.
Ministers had asked individual factories to come up with business plans to ensure their survival without a public subsidy.
But Southampton was one of those with “no agreed business plan”, the Government said.
MP Maria Miller, the minister for disabled people, told MPs the £320 million budget for disabled employment services could be spent more effectively.
But Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said this was a “dreadful lack of justification from minister”.
Local unions have previously labelled moves to close Southampton’s factory “a disaster”.
Ms Miller also announced a further consultation on the future of nine other Remploy factories which have been the subject of bids.
Workers at all of Remploy’s factories are due to stage two 24-hour strikes in protest at an announcement by the Government earlier this year of closures.
The GMB union said the strikes would go ahead despite today's announcement.
Comments(8)
mummsie
says...
1:08pm Wed 11 Jul 12
Goldenwight
says...
1:31pm Wed 11 Jul 12
mummsie wrote:You are being most unfair here.
"Spent more effectively..." My Big Toe!!!! Go on, pick on the vulnerable yet again !
A recent £640m report commissioned by the Government concluded that the annual £320m subsidy would be far better spent on unjustified and unquantified MPs expenses.
And that was from an entirely independent commission made up of MPs wives and mistresses.
sotonbusdriver
says...
1:58pm Wed 11 Jul 12
The Government are classing many disabled fit to work, yet taking away the places that are most likely to employ them...
I really cannot see Mainstream employers taking on people with severe disabilities....
sarfhamton
says...
2:44pm Wed 11 Jul 12
sotonbusdriver wrote:In an ideal world Disabled people should be able to get mainstream jobs but in reality Remploy is a great place for people who want to work but can't gain work elsewhere or need work experience.
That's it... Typical.. The Government are classing many disabled fit to work, yet taking away the places that are most likely to employ them... I really cannot see Mainstream employers taking on people with severe disabilities....
OSPREYSAINT
says...
3:21pm Wed 11 Jul 12
southy
says...
5:29pm Wed 11 Jul 12
sarfhamton wrote:Mainstream employment are not going to pay for the extra libility insurance that they will be need to pay
sotonbusdriver wrote:In an ideal world Disabled people should be able to get mainstream jobs but in reality Remploy is a great place for people who want to work but can't gain work elsewhere or need work experience.
That's it... Typical.. The Government are classing many disabled fit to work, yet taking away the places that are most likely to employ them... I really cannot see Mainstream employers taking on people with severe disabilities....
southy
says...
5:32pm Wed 11 Jul 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:more so for one that pays for it self to run, and its only Government that putting the extra cost on to remploy though admin board trust.
Another hit on the vulnerable, rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception. Didn't they make Floating Duck Houses in the past?
So insted of paying £320 million budget for disabled employment services, they are now going to pay out a bit more than that to keep them at home.
userds5050 says...
12:49pm Wed 11 Jul 12