UK Government minister Iain Duncan Smith has been branded ”insensitive” after being accused of criticising disabled workers.
The Work and Pensions Secretary was reported as saying he wanted to save money by closing Remploy factories and getting more people into ”proper jobs”.
More than 100 disabled workers are to lose their jobs with the closure of the Remploy factories in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Wishaw and Springburn as part of a rationalisation of the organisation’s factories.
More than 1,500 workers will lose their jobs across the UK.
A Sunday newspaper reported that Mr Duncan Smith had questioned the work done at the factories after being accosted by campaigners.
”Is it a kindness to stick people in a factory where they are not doing any work at all?” he asked. ”Just making cups of coffee? That goes on. That is not kind at all. I promise you this is better.
”I never said this was an easy decision, but taking this decision was a balance between how much do I want to spend keeping people in Remploy factories not producing stuff versus getting people into proper jobs.”
The former Tory leader’s comments were attacked by Labour and SNP politicians.
Labour MP Anne McGuire said: ”The reported comments of Iain Duncan Smith show just how out of touch this government is. Instead of doing all he can to support disabled people into work, he took an opportunity to abuse them.”
Mark McDonald, SNP MSP for North East Scotland, added: ”These are disgraceful, insensitive remarks and Iain Duncan Smith should apologise. It’s bad enough that the Tories are forcing these factories to close, but to then insult the work that the employees do beggars belief.”
But a spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said the comments had been taken out of context.
He added: ”Ministers and the Secretary of State are clear the specialist employment budget is £320 million, a fifth of which is presently spent on loss-making Remploy factories and should instead be moved into programmes like Access to Work. There will be no cut to funding.”
Remploy has said there are no plans for redundancies at Dundee.
Photo by Lewis Stickley/PA Wire