REMPLOY SPENNYMOOR TO REMAIN OPEN
HELEN GOODMAN MP
PRESS RELEASE
12 November 2007
** For immediate release**
Helen Goodman, Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland, has expressed her delight that the threatened Remploy factory at Spennymoor is to remain open.
Remploy Spennymoor had been identified as one of 32 factories to be closed as part of management modernisation plans.
This put at risk the jobs of all 73 workers at Spennymoor, and provoked a prolonged campaign by workers, trade unions and local MPs to prevent closure.
Helen chaired a cross-party bank bench enquiry into the planned closures, which recommended that factories such as Remploy Spennymoor should remain open in order to provide fulfilling employment to a skilled and hard-working workforce.
The back-bench enquiry also highlighted exciting new business opportunities presented by changes in Public Procurement legislation, which allow companies like Remploy to work more closely with Local Authorities.
Helen was therefore delighted to hear this morning that Remploy now intend to retain the Spennymoor plant to supply IT recycling and manufacturing rework for local authorities, RDAs and government offices across the North East.
Helen said:
“This is wonderful news for everyone who works at the Remploy factory in Spennymoor, and vindicates everything we have said about the value and quality of their work.
I couldn’t be more pleased, and we must do everything possible to capitalise on this new opportunity”.
ENDS
