Unions hand over 10,000 strong petiton to save Appledore to Ministry of Defence
This is now a fight for the future of shipbuilding in Appledore - securing skilled jobs for this generation and the next say the unions.
GMB and Unite members headed to Parliament today [Tuesday October 30] to hand over a 10,000 strong petition to save Appeldore shipyard to the Ministry of Defence.
Union members met MPS from all parties including Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Nia Griffiths MP, Shadow Secretary of State for BEIS Rebecca Long Bailey MP, Shadow Minister for Procurement Wayne David MP and Labour Party Chair, Ian Lavery MP as part of the joint campaign to protect the historic yard from closure.
Recent reports suggest a final decision to close Appledore Shipyard could be made by Babcock at a board meeting in November.
GMB and Unite staged a mass rally in Bideford on Saturday to highlight public opposition to closure.
The unions are calling on everyone who supports a future for the yard, and for British shipbuilding and manufacturing in general, to sign the petition.
GMB representatives from Appledore have sent a clear message today to local MP Geoffrey Cox and the Government, that we fully expect action from both the government and the company to solve this short term problem that is in no way the fault of the skilled, dedicated workforce.
We really appreciated the time given by the Labour Shadow Secretary of States responsible for Defence and BEIS in hearing our concerns and the wholehearted support they’ve given to keep help Appledore Shipyard open.
This is now a fight for the future of shipbuilding in Appledore - securing skilled jobs for this generation and the next.
Matt Roberts, GMB Regional Organiser
