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• Tories threaten security of tenure for eight million social housing tenants and Britain’s house building programme
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Scottish bus workers take their fight for jobs to the Scottish parliament

3rd March 2010

WHEN: 12.30pm, Thursday, 4 March
WHERE: Scottish parliament’s garden lobby

Unite members from Scotland’s only bus manufacturer, Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), will visit the Scottish parliament tomorrow (Thursday, 4 March) in support of efforts to create a new generation of buses at their Falkirk plant.

Labour MSP Charlie Gordon has tabled a parliamentary motion calling for Scottish government intervention to help fund grants for the purchase of ADL ‘hybrid technology’ buses by transport authorities and commercial bus operators which could help secure the plant’s immediate future.

Since December the 900-strong workforce at ADL has been operating a three-day week to eke out existing orders. However, new accessibility and emissions standards mean bus operators will have to purchase new vehicles and the highly skilled workforce is ready to meet this industry demand, but new orders are desperately needed to survive.

Unite regional industrial organiser, Scott Foley, said: “ADL’s Falkirk plant is internationally renowned for its world-class bus manufacturing and the workforce is ready to roll-out the next generation of environmentally and user-friendly vehicles now.

“But the current three-day working week is simply unsustainable for employees with households to run and families to feed. The new hybrid bus will represent a benchmark in the industry and fulfil the accessibility and environmental regulations operators will have to comply with, but we need these orders now - it’s an agonising situation for the workers.

“Thousands of people in the local community not to mention many small businesses across Scotland in the supply chain depend on ADL. Scotland simply cannot afford to lose this plant.”

Unite fully supports Charlie Gordon’s motion calling for urgent intervention to start filling order books at ADL now and wants to see:

• Fresh orders for a new generation of Scottish bus build
• World-class bus manufacturing at ADL in Falkirk
• Quality Scottish jobs and skills for future generations
• The provision of world-class buses for the Scottish public
  

ENDS

For further information please contact Scott Foley on 07810 157915 / Peter Welsh in the Unite Scottish Region's Campaigns & Policy Unit on 07810 157931 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420 8914 or 07980 224761.