Action
on all Fronts Vital to Minimise Sanmina Damage, Minister Warned
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, told the Enterprise Minister that “action on all fronts” is needed
to minimise the impact of Sanmina’s plans to close its Greenock PC Division
during talks at Holyrood today.
Speaking after the meeting,
Mr McNeil said:
“Right now, I told the
Minister, the priority must be looking after the interests of the Sanmina
workers who seem set to lose their jobs. For
a start, they must get all the practical help they need to find new employment. For
example, some people might need funding to get the up-to-date safety
certificates or qualifications they need to pursue a new career, or perhaps
return to an old one. Similarly,
anyone with the drive and ambition to leave employment and set up their own
business should have access to enterprise awareness training.
“The workforce also needs
to know what jobs are available, not just in Greenock but across Inverclyde and
Renfrewshire. Moves are therefore
being made to get the region’s employers into Greenock to recruit.
“It seems that some
progress on this is already being made, with Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire
officials at the plant today talking with the company.
Given Sanmina’s previous reluctance to engage, I hope this is a
positive sign that they are accepting their responsibilities to their loyal
employees and will actively support them in their search for new jobs.
Although the Minister has said government money will be there to support
this work, I hope company will play its part too.”
Mr McNeil confirmed that he
and the Minister also discussed the longer term issues which must be resolved if
the Inverclyde economy is to end its reliance on insecure jobs.
“I reminded the Minister
that there are still many issues on the shelf.
The Scottish Executive must underline its commitment to our community in
the forthcoming regeneration statement, which I want made as soon as possible.
And, in the coming weeks and months, the Executive must press ahead with
the regeneration of the waterfront, the creation of Inverclyde’s own Urban
Regeneration Company and the Gourock transport interchange development – all
initiatives which have its financial backing.
“These benefits, however,
will take time to filter through. In
the medium term, therefore, Inverclyde has to get its fair share of public
sector jobs. There is no quicker
way of bringing good quality jobs to a community and I understand that the
Executive’s Relocation Unit has now visited area to see what we can offer.”
Mr McNeil reiterated his
calls in the Parliament this afternoon. Speaking
in a debate on the Scottish Executive’s forthcoming employability framework
document, he said:
“The Sanmina situation yet
again sums up the problem with the labour market in parts of Scotland.
It reminds us that Scotland cannot – and, indeed, should not –
compete with low-wage economies on the basis of cost.
The only way to rebuild the economies of areas with higher than average
unemployment, on which I’m pleased the framework will concentrate, is on a
sound foundation of high-skill, high-paid jobs; jobs which can't just be shipped
overseas because someone else can do the work cheaper.
“That, though, means
attracting the right sort of companies to an area. And that will require a concerted effort from all sides to
make sure that communities such as Inverclyde offer, for example, prime
development opportunities and a highly-skilled workforce.
“It is, though, easy to go
on about the need to hone your skills and continually learn new ones throughout
your working life. But what about
the practicalities? How do we help,
say, a working mum whose daily routine comprises: getting up; dropping the kids
at school; going to work, picking the kids up from her mum’s; before making
the tea; and ferrying various family members to and from Brownies, football
training or whatever? How
can we help her fit in time to get to the local college, or study her distance
learning materials?
“Solutions to these
practical barriers need to be considered seriously. Can we, for example, give employers responsibilities to build
training into the working day? And,
if we do remove these barriers, should we also consider the responsibility of
the workforce to use their rights? Should
they take responsibility for ensuring that they have today’s skills and will
be able to learn tomorrow’s? After
all, why should it only be certain professionals, such as lawyers, accountants
and doctors, who are required to undertake Continuous Professional
Development?”
ENDS
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