Following yesterday’s announcement by Airbus that it plans to cut 1,700 jobs in the UK, along with thousands more in Germany, Spain and elsewhere, Shadow Minister for North Wales Mark Isherwood MS has today questioned both the First Minister and the Economy Minister over Welsh Government plans to respond to the job losses.
Raising the matter during today’s virtual Plenary meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood referred to a briefing he had yesterday with Airbus and described the situation as “dreadful news for north-east Wales and the wider region and economy”.
In ‘Topical Questions’ he questioned the Economy Minister on a number of issues relating to the planned redundancies, and during Questions to the First Minister focused primarily on the impact of the news for Guidant Global employees.
Speaking via ‘Zoom’ from his home in North Wales, he said:
“I attended a briefing last evening with Airbus, alongside north-east Wales Conservative MPs, who explained that they're facing the most serious global crisis in the history of their industry and that the more formalised announcements on where the job losses will fall will come tomorrow.
“I hope that you'll tell us what plans you have in place for tomorrow to be ready to respond, once the gaps are filled in, and, obviously, building on the assurance that this will be focused on voluntary rather than compulsory redundancies.
“We heard from Airbus that they are talking to the (UK) Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and have been for some time, as well as yourselves, asking, in particular, for support for a shorter working week. I'd welcome your understanding of the position on that, at present, and what the Welsh Government's view might be.
“Simon Hart, the Secretary of State for Wales, has said that there's been £10 billion worth so far of UK investment in the aviation industry and that they'll keep doing that because they want it to survive. Again, I'd be interested to know what engagement you have, or will be having with your colleagues in BEIS regarding those comments.
“And finally, if you could just mention the apprenticeship scheme. I know that Airbus has acknowledged positively the support that Welsh Government is providing for the apprenticeship scheme and that it's moving to staggered start dates and reduced class sizes. But, what could the Welsh Government do to support extended schemes in the future to enable new-start entrants to be hopefully there for recovery in the future?”
The Minister told Mr Isherwood that he has been in “very regular dialogue with Ministers within BEIS and the Wales Office” in regards to the Airbus situation”.
He added: “Consultation on the specific number of jobs that will be announced at Broughton will take some time, and we'll be working throughout that period with the company in making sure that anybody who finds themselves redundant following the consultation has support there through Working Wales to get training or further employment opportunities. The potential for an advanced technology and research centre will further attract investment into the Deeside area, and that is a vitally important facility”.
Questioning the First Minister, Mr Isherwood said:
“On 9 April Airbus announced it was cutting production because of new rules on distancing and said that it was reducing temporary production and support labour supplied by Guidant Global. On 28 April Guidant Global furloughed their almost 500 workforce at Airbus and served them with a risk-of-redundancy notice. And yesterday Airbus announced that the job losses were in addition to reductions of more than 700 temps and subcontractors at UK commercial sites. In addition to the work the Welsh Government will be doing directly, and with the UK Government, for Airbus, what support have you been providing, or what will you be providing, for those Guidant Global employees?”
The First Minister said the “response that the Welsh Government will make, including bringing together in a summit all those local players and Welsh national players who have a part to play in responding to the difficulties that Airbus itself faces and the knock-on effects that that has for others in the supply chain more broadly, will be a way in which we will look to design together the sort of response that supports this sector, because it has a successful future.”