Unions launch one million pound boycott against
Peugeot
8 June 2006
Amicus and the T&G unions have served
notice of a million pound campaign against Peugeot with national
newspaper advertisements encouraging people not to buy Peugeot and
Citroen cars if the company proceeds with the closure of its Ryton
plant in Coventry.
Tomorrow’s full page adverts in The Mirror and Guardian
newspapers mark the beginning of a national campaign encouraging
people to boycott Peugeot and Citroen, unless the company meets
unions to consider a plan to save production at the plant. The
company announced in April that the Coventry factory will shut next
year, with the direct loss of 2,300 jobs, and move production to
France and low-wage Slovakia.
Amicus and the T&G want Peugeot to keep Ryton open on the
basis of the survival plan developed by the unions – or they will
be calling on people and companies looking to buy cars to penalise
the company for putting still-greater profits before their loyal
British workforce.
The unions will place a series of adverts in trade, regional
and national press and run boards on 48 sheet advertising hoardings
close to Peugeot and Citroen dealers appealing to the UK public to
support UK workers by choosing not to buy Peugeot or Citroen cars.
They are also appealing to the UK’s seven million trade union
members to boycott Peugeot and Citroen.
The union say they could adopt similar tactics for other
companies that chose to cut jobs and plants in the UK and move
production to other parts of the world.
Derek Simpson, General Secretary of Amicus, said: "Companies
that seek to sell in Britain should build in Britain.
"We believe that the wider British public will want to send a
powerful message to companies like Peugeot that are prepared to
close profitable and productive plants here in the UK and lay off
loyal, skilled and hard working employees and a drop in sales will
really hit them where it hurts.
"We need to draw a line in the sand and say to companies that
behave in this way that there will be consequences for their
actions.
T&G General Secretary Tony Woodley said: "The unions have
produced a robust plan which could provide a profitable future for
the Ryton plant. Peugeot is motivated by sheer greed and
needs to understand that there will be painful consequences if they
shut up shop in Britain in this fashion.
"If they refuse to talk, and our members who will still be
working at the plant after immediate forthcoming redundancies want
our support, we will fund a campaign to make the public aware of
this corporate betrayal, and if this hits Peugeot in the wallet, so
be it."
The unions are also campaigning for the strengthening of UK
labour laws to stop workers here being more vulnerable to
redundancy than those on the continent because they have stronger
employment protection.
Note to editors
The unions say the ongoing campaign is to encourage UK
consumers to support companies that produce and or employ people
here in the UK rather than those that choose to offshore work to
low wage economies but capitalise on the UK’s lucrative
markets.
- Ends –
For further information please contact Catherine Bithell in
the Amicus press office on 020 7 420 8909 or 07958 473 224 or
Andrew Dodgshon in the T&G press office on 020 7611 2549 or
07976 832 156 or Claire Ainsley on 07976 832 169
