Parliamentary Rally to save Bombardier Jobs, Wednesday 12th October, 12.30,

Martin Empson
Treasurer, Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union group
www.climate-change-jobs.org
079 585 35231
swpmre@yahoo.com

Subject: Support the Parliamentary Rally to save Bombardier Jobs, Wednesday 12th October, 12.30, Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London: PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY

Dear Colleague
Support the Parliamentary Rally to save Bombardier Jobs
Wednesday 12th October, 12.30
Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London

Bombardier trade unions are urging support for the Parliamentary rally to save Bombardier jobs on Wednesday 12th October.

It is vital that we keep up the pressure in the campaign.
At the Parliamentary Transport Committee on 7th September both the Secretary of State for Transport and representative of the European Commission admitted it was legally possible to reverse the decision to award the Thameslink trains contract to Siemens of Germany.
Last week the TUC unanimously agreed to back the campaign and there is now overwhelming political, media and popular support for the government to reverse their disastrous decision.
And we know if it is allowed to go ahead the impact of the government’s decision will go beyond Derby. Tens of thousands of supply chain jobs in nearly every constituency in the country will be affected. See attached list.
That is why every single MP in the country has been invited to the rally on 12th October to hear how the threat to Bombardier in Derby could also threaten the livelihoods of their constituents.
Answers to a parliamentary question last week (below) have further demonstrated the scandalous nature of the government decision. Ministers have admitted that almost £20m has been spent on consultants to provide advice on a process that could spell the end of UK train manufacturing
Please support the rally on 12th October and ask your MP to attend. Please also ask your MP to sign the parliamentary motion below tabled by Chris Williamson MP. You can check if your MP has signed by visiting http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/2059
The contract is still at preferred bidder stage. There is still time to reverse this decision. Please support the rally on 12th October.
Yours sincerely

Bob Crow
General Secretary

Parliamentary Answer 14 September 2011
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which external consultants were contracted to advise his Department on the (a) design, (b) tendering and (c) award of preferred bidder status for the Thameslink rolling stock contract; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such contract. [R] [68716]
Mrs Villiers: The cost of each contract against the categories requested up to June 2011 is as follows:
£ million
Vendor
(a) Design
(b) Tendering (1)
(c) Award of preferred bidder status
Arup
2.53
2.86
0.14
Booz and Company
0.22
0.49
0.09
Freshfields
2.44
5.31
0.18
Interfleet
0.16
1.49
0.02
PWC
0.77
2.26
0.26
Total
6.12
12.4
0.69
Total
19.2


EDM 2059 Tabled by Chris Williamson MP
“That this House notes the commitment given by the Prime Minister in Derby earlier in 2011 that his administration would support local manufacturing jobs; is therefore dismayed and appalled at the implications for UK manufacturing of the Government's decision to make Siemens of Germany the preferred bidder for the 1.4 billion Thameslink rolling stock contract and to reject the bid from Bombardier of Derby; is alarmed that this decision has already led to the announcement of over 1,400 job losses at Bombardier and also threatens at least a further 12,000 jobs in the UK supply chain; is further concerned that the decision could adversely impact on the prospect of a UK-based train manufacturer bidding to supply trains for Crossrail or for high speed rail; supports Bombardier's rejection of the Department for Transport's claim that jobs at the company were under threat irrespective of the destination of the Thameslink contract; acknowledges that EU competition law has not dissuaded the German or French administrations from awarding 100 per cent. of their lucrative domestic rail contracts to domestic bidders; further notes that the contract is still at preferred bidder stage; and calls on the Government immediately to review this decision to take into account the value for money implications of the loss of tens of thousands of UK jobs”




James Croy,
Political Officer ,
RMT,
Unity House ,
39 Chalton Street
London,
NW1 1JD

j.croy@rmt.org.uk

Tel: 020 7529 8822, Fax: 020 7529 8808