The head of the TUC and the chief of Britain’s manufacturing employers’ organisation have joined together to warn that leaving the EU would be a “terrible gamble”.
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, and Terry Scuoler, CEO of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, are publishing today (Wednesday) a joint statement that sets out the potential loss in manufacturing trade, and the knock on effects for business and employees, should Britain leave the EU.
The employer and trade union bodies jointly call for a renewed focus in the final days of the campaign on the economic reality of a decision to leave the EU, and the impact it would have on working people and the businesses that employ them.
The joint statement by Frances O’Grady and Terry Scuoler says:
“The EU is Britain’s biggest export market, with 47 per cent of all UK goods making their way across the Channel. That’s worth £134 billion a year. Employers and workers up and down the land – 1.7 million jobs in manufacturing alone – depend on EU trade.
“The Treasury estimates that Brexit would mean losing up to 13 per cent of manufacturing trade with the EU – endangering a quarter of a million well-paid jobs.
“We hope there will be a renewed focus in the remaining days of the campaign on the economic reality of the decision voters will make on June 23, and its impact on them as working people and on the businesses that employ them.
“Leaving would be a terrible gamble, amounting to playing poker with people’s jobs, businesses and the country’s economic stability.
“On this issue, manufacturing employers and trade unions are as one. Britain is better off remaining in the EU.”
Terry Scuoler, CEO of EEF, added: “Manufacturing employers and the TUC share concerns about the significant risks posed by leaving the EU. These risks apply to both employers and employees alike, so when people make their choice this Thursday it is important that they know this. It is about the economic reality of the enormous decision we are all being asked to make. The implications are far-reaching and people must be clearly informed about them before making a choice.”
Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, added: “The manufacturing sector is a strong source of high quality jobs. The average wage for manufacturing jobs is £100 a week higher than in the services sector. We cannot afford to put these jobs at risk. The TUC is in no doubt that the best thing for jobs, wages and rights at work is for the UK to remain in the EU.”
Its almost on us and looks almost certain to go remain, according to the polls.
I’ve never thought that it would make much difference to the UK whether we stay of go. But, I have become very sceptical about the direction that the Euro is driving the EU and now think that in the long term Brexit is the better option and will be voting for what looks like the lost cause!
It is also sad that the “establishment” were quite so conservative in their evaluations; obviously stay has less risk, but what about the benefits.
As the USA is moving a third brigade to Eastern Europe, here a more interesting question: will the UK participate in a NATO attack on Russia and make us a target for Russian missiles?
The TUC and the EEF as one?
I recall a phrase current in the 70s “there will be no peace in Industry whilst there are two sides to it!” Is this the start of something really important? Fellow bloggers will be aware of my views on the adversarial nature of so much within our society. I say black, you have to say white: and the only beneficiaries are those who make it their business to profit from disputes? You know who they are! and so do they.
Shouldn’t we stop referring to the Single Market as an export area? Isn’t it in fact a 500M capita home market, whereas we had a ~45M capita home market pre-EEC/EU? I remember the consequences of that and particularly the high prices we paid that attracted in imports from the rest of the world, cutting the base for recovery of our post-war industries.
I am a remain, and feel that shying away from immigration has not helped the cause.
The Brexit campaign has used this to great advantage, and suggested that we could have a tariff free arrangement such as Norway or Switzerland. I feel this is not a good idea.
Having used the internet to research the Norway/Switzerland tariff free agreements leads me to ask those adamant in their belief that immigration would be greatly reduced by leaving the EU to type in GOOGLE ‘Norway’s relationship with the EU’ and ‘Switzerland’s relationship with the EU’ then click on Wikipedia, there are others sites but I feel Wikipedia has no political bias.
Currently they have differing arrangements regard immigration with the EU. They both accept the freedom of movement of workers, and Norway is included in the Schengen area. This I feel is not what those that are voting to leave want, in fact worse.
The out campaigners could argue that we would have a separate deal that would exempt the UK from agreeing with any freedom of movement, but Switzerland’s 2014 referendum has placed their government in the very awkward position of complying with the will of the people, reducing EU migration, or losing their tariff free status as the EU would use the Guillotine clause in their existing agreement. This would then annul the agreement in whole, and mean that a total re-negotiation would be required.
Norway does participate in some EU programs and bodies and for this privilege it has to contribute towards the EU budget, 1.3 billion Euro’s between 2004 & 2009.
There is more, Fishing, Agriculture etc. In each case there are pluses and minuses but I have no reason to change my mind. Used sensibly the Internet can be informative and I urge you to encourage people to use it.
I stress that Wikipedia has not been my only source of information, but my research has dramatically change my fears.
The economy was my initial worry, now my real fear is that the need to remove tariffs after leaving will lead us into accepting a large majority of EU directives and a considerable number of their laws, now and into the future. Again not what the out voters want.
All this would come at the cost of having no representation within the EU.
Well John if Wikipedia is a source for a non politically biased view, how do you know who wrote it? May be it is one of the 5 presidents that will run our country? you will never know from reading wikipedia.
Switzerland revoked its intent to get closer to the EU last week and they export more to the EU than the UK do.
Yesterday the EU president said they will not make it easy for us to leave to deter other members trying the same. Sounds like a great club to be a member of!
I have already voted with my tick in the lower box, I am preparing to lose and spend the rest of my life saying “I told you so”.
I might even speak to the stone mason tomorrow.
So as the leaders of these Unions and the Employers unite (sic) to back Remain, what about the workers, those lower down the food chain, those threatened by the influx of unskilled labour and zero hours contracts?
The unskilled labour that is dividing communities the unskilled labour that cannot find work in a failing European Union.
A European country, any of them, could once upon a time float its currency, take QE action to prop up a failing currency. Not in the EU with its Euro and expansionist intent.
And so the poor youth go somewhere that offers jobs and a decent standard of living, and so it will continue until we are full.
The poor are the young untrained of Europe, they are a youth that is being destroyed by the EU experiment.
It is going pear shaped and we have a chance today to send the loudest message that we possibly could do to that failing organisation.
Take this opportunity and take back control of our borders, jobs for our youth and make the EU experiment think again. It is impossible from within, the unelected elite are too powerful for that.
I have not voted yet, I am saving that pleasure for tea time after picking up my family, we will go together and put our crosses in the lower box.
It is not the first time i have pointed out the following and frightening statistic.
The last time there was absolutely full employment (within statistical limits) throughout much of Europe, the USA and Asia was May 8th 1945! Must we have another ‘conflict’ to ensure that everyone has something to do and be paid for?Surely there are sufficient ‘other’ aspects to disputes and problems to keep all busy without the blood-letting?
On re-reading Phil’s comment (a cross in a box!) I remind myself that I (and about 34 million others) did just that to express our views. Are we serious? At a moment in the technological advance (in which those of us with the privilege of a training in Engineering, science, technology and the application of these noble attributes to the ascent of (wo)-man have made pivotal advances) our leaders and apparent betters appear to believe it is OK to step back 500 years to the quill-pen and parchment era. Though seeing how they conduct our affairs (cock-fighting in an adversarial pit, with juries of purchased persuasion passing legislation ‘on-the-nod’ to suit tribal? rewards and loyalties? what chance to we have of change. I repeat: I believe our leaders had no idea what was coming to them in Brexit: and they have even less of an idea of how they are about to be completely eclipsed by ‘our’ advance.
It has cost the UK a great deal of money to vote Brexit. It will cost a great deal more in the next 5 years. This was advertised (in advance) as “scaremongering” by the mendacious right wing pro-Brexits. Worse, these right wingers have no idea what to do next about the parlous financial state of the OUR country.