‘It’s not rocket science’

Ahead of tomorrow’s (July 8) Chancellor’s Summer Statement, Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing, Steve Turner, outlines what Unite is seeking in an interview with BBC News this morning (July 7).

Turner says, “Tomorrow we’re looking for very real practical measures to support those sectors [manufacturing] of course, but also to support the wider economy.

There are manufacturing sectors such as aerospace and automotive that demand will return to. They are good businesses right now, but they need some support beyond October, by way of sector specific packages to ensure that their viability continues.

But also an extension of ‘phase two of the furlough’ – you could call it – where we support short-time working, job share and job rotation, to keep everybody in work – but maybe working 50 per cent of the hours they worked previously until such times as demand returns. And it will – so that means we can quite simply increase the hours, at that point.

And we can use that [time] to train people, up-skill people, like they do in Germany and France. It’s not radical – it’s not rocket science.

WATCH STEVE:

 Compiled by Martin Scanlon (film) and Amanda Campbell (words)