'A horrible time for people' as Remploy drive launched
A campaign has been launched in Fife to prevent the closure of Remploy factories for disabled workers.
- By Claire Warrender
- Published in the Courier : 31.08.11
- Published online : 31.08.11 @ 03.30pm
The call to retain the sites has already amassed huge support amid fears vulnerable workers could end up on the scrap heap.
Remploy, the UK's largest and oldest employer of disabled people, has factories in Leven and Cowdenbeath which make lifejackets and other marine safety equipment.
The company is seen as a lifeline for thousands of disabled people across Britain who would otherwise find it almost impossible to find work.
However it is under threat after the UK Government began a three-month consultation on recommendations calling for the end of government support for segregated employment.
The recommendations were made in a review led by Liz Sayce, chief executive of disability charity Radar, who concluded that state support for segregated employment should be phased out in favour of helping disabled people to get and keep jobs in the general labour market.
It said that viable Remploy factories could be spun out of the public sector, but pointed out that none of the businesses are profitable.
Although some disability charities are backing the proposals, those working for Remploy in Fife are worried for their future.
A Facebook page (link) set up by Fife employees calling for public support to stop Remploy's closure or privatisation has won the backing of over 550 people. A further 11,000 signed a petition calling for the factories to be retained.
The employees have also asked the Department of Work and Pensions to enter discussion on the future of Remploy and the whole supported employment sector in Britain.
Sylvia Springthorpe, branch secretary of Community union at Remploy in Leven, said the latest threat to the factories came after a round of voluntary redundancies had supposedly secured Remploy's future until 2013.
She said: "Three weeks after the voluntary redundancy process had finished we had the Liz Sayce report. It's been a horrible time for people."
Lifelong joblessness fear
Remploy employs people with learning disabilities and mental health problems as well as degrees of physical disability, and Ms Springthorpe said if the factories closed many would never work again.
She said: "There are people with learning difficulties who would never take in what they were being asked to do by mainstream employers.
"The Liz Sayce report has gone over their heads and it's such a shame. We're not just campaigning for the disabled people who are here at the moment.
"It's for future disabled people who will at some point be looking for employment."
In addition to providing employment, Remploy runs basic education classes to develop its staff — something Ms Springthorpe said would never happen elsewhere.
She said: "That would just be lost. Also, for a lot of people Remploy is their social life and they would lose that too.
"We've had a really good response from people and we got 600 signatures on our petition on Leven High Street in one day last week.
"We got another 500 in Cowdenbeath and we're now getting in touch with our MPs and MSPs to see what support they can give us. People are getting frustrated in here.
"The consultation ends on October 17 and I don't think we'll be told the result right away so we'll be in limbo for a while to come yet. But we've got to fight and hopefully we'll win the campaign."
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