Saturday, January 26, 2019
14,000 jobs at risk over Brexit and how many more?
Surely, the head of plane giant Airbus spoke for all of us when he branded Theresa May’s handling of Brexit a “disgrace”. However, his threat to close the company's plants if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal has to be taken seriously.
Airbus employs 14,000 people in Britain, including 6,000 jobs at its main wings factory at Broughton, in North Wales, and 3,000 at Filton, near Bristol, where wings are designed and supported. With around 110,000 more jobs in connected supply chains, the aerospace group is among the UK’s key employers – and among the most vulnerable to the loss of ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing across the EU.
It will not be the only company considering its future in the EU if we crash out on 29th March, and that is before we look at the financial sector. Nor is this just confined to a no deal Brexit. As Tom Enders argues in the Independent, business needs certainty if they are to plan for the future, but they also need favourable trading conditions.
Many businesses are based in the UK because of their easy tariff-free access to the European continent. A large number employ EU citizens. The uncertainty is threatening their future and who could blame them if they decide to relocate elsewhere.
For these companies the best deal is the one we have now, in the EU. Why would we put jobs and our future prosperity at risk by leaving that arrangement?
Airbus employs 14,000 people in Britain, including 6,000 jobs at its main wings factory at Broughton, in North Wales, and 3,000 at Filton, near Bristol, where wings are designed and supported. With around 110,000 more jobs in connected supply chains, the aerospace group is among the UK’s key employers – and among the most vulnerable to the loss of ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing across the EU.
It will not be the only company considering its future in the EU if we crash out on 29th March, and that is before we look at the financial sector. Nor is this just confined to a no deal Brexit. As Tom Enders argues in the Independent, business needs certainty if they are to plan for the future, but they also need favourable trading conditions.
Many businesses are based in the UK because of their easy tariff-free access to the European continent. A large number employ EU citizens. The uncertainty is threatening their future and who could blame them if they decide to relocate elsewhere.
For these companies the best deal is the one we have now, in the EU. Why would we put jobs and our future prosperity at risk by leaving that arrangement?
