Fife MSP hosting Holyrood summit to discuss Remploy's future
Top-level crisis talks are to be held on the future of a troubled disabled workers' organisation.
- By Claire Warrender
- Published in the Courier : 05.09.11
- Published online : 05.09.11 @ 02.32pm
Fife MSP Helen Eadie will host a summit at Holyrood on Thursday to discuss the possible closure of 54 Remploy factories across the UK.
The firm, the country's largest employer of disabled people, has seven factories in Scotland, including Dundee, Leven and Cowdenbeath.
Its future is under threat after the Sayce report on specialist disability programmes recommended the end of Government support for segregated employment.
The review, commissioned by the Government and led by Liz Sayce, chief executive of disability charity Radar, concluded state support for segregated employment should be phased out in favour of helping disabled people get and keep jobs in the general market.
Amid fears thousands of disabled people will end up on the scrapheap if the Government accepts the recommendations, Mrs Eadie has invited MSPs, MPs, local government leaders, trade unions and disability groups and campaigners to the Holyrood discussions.
The Cowdenbeath MSP has the support of a number of Fife politicians and employees at Fife's two Remploy factories who have launched a campaign to save their jobs.
Mrs Eadie said: "The majority of Remploy factories across the UK will close within the next year if the proposals contained within this report are accepted by the Government at Westminster.
"I have written to every parliamentarian across the whole of the UK, including all the devolved assemblies. I am urging them to fight against these closures and protect these much needed employment opportunities.
"This crisis summit has been organised in partnership with the unions GMB, Unite and Community and will show just how vehemently opposed people are to these regressive and dangerous plans in the Sayce report."
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