Remploy workers strike in York

Disabled workers in York and Merseyside struck on Wednesday and Thursday of last week in the fight to save threatened Remploy factories.

John Wilson, the GMB’s union’s assistant shop steward at the York site, said, “People are coming to support us from Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Liverpool, Scotland and the Midlands because, while some of their factories are staying open, in a year’s time they might be in the same boat as us.

“We believe there is a plan to destroy the whole Remploy factory structure and we’re doing what we can to fight it.”

The Remploy Consortium of Trade Unions has accused management of using the go ahead from the secretary of state to close 28 Remploy factories as a licence to do as they please.

Factories in York and Hartlepool have been put up for sale while disabled workers are still working inside them.

Alison Henderson, the GMB union’s shop steward at the York factory, told Socialist Worker, “The response we’ve had from the public has been brilliant – the only people who aren’t listening to us and don’t seem to care are the government and the Remploy directors.

“People believe that what is happening to us is a crying shame.

“The support we have received shows people are sympathetic towards what we are trying to do.

“They realise we have been treated badly and that we have been given no choice in this matter.

“And although time is running out for us, we won’t go down without a fight.”