Top talks over MoD site
Wednesday 18th March 2009, 3:46PM GMT.
MP David Wright was today meeting Government and union officials in Parliament to discuss the future of a Ministry of Defence depot in Telford, employing more than 1,000 people.
Donnington is one of 10 major Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA) sites whose operations are to be reviewed by the Government, along with one in Germany.
Today’s top level meeting followed the announcement in the pre-Budget report of a review of the distribution sites.
It came as union chiefs began preparations to ballot members at Donnington over possible strike action after they were told they must lose 12 hours of annual leave. Ian Waddell, of Unite, said today: “We are now pressing ahead with the preparations.”
Mr Wright, Labour MP for Telford, said Donnington had won a multi-million-pound contract two years ago, so looked well placed to continue in that role following the review. He said: “There is a dedicated and loyal workforce in Telford and I am certain, by working together, we can continue to ensure we remain a national defence hub.”
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Please don’t go on strike, chaps. I’d vote to lose the 12 hours a year leave, if that’s all it will take to keep your jobs. As government workers, you’re probably getting more than the private sector equivalent anyway, what with all those “statutory days” that they hand out, but whether you are or not, 1/2 a day a year doesn’t seem such a hardship in return for a regular salary. Wish I had the option to actually WORK 1/2 a day a year and get paid for it – anything would help nowadays.
Nice to see David Wright fighting so hard to retain government-funded jobs as well. I suppose that the German depot will have to go as Gordon lives up to his claim of British jobs for British workers – can’t really use taxpayers’ money to keep Germans in work while he needs all the votes he can get at the next election.
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I see MP Mark Pritchard is very quiet over this, but he does favour Cosford.
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In the present clean-up of World Finances loosing a mere 12 hours leave is nothing to get silly about.
Economies everywhere became over stuffed with benefits. Now is the time to trim the (Waist) Waste.
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