Press Release
GMB Steps In To Pay For Christmas Party For Threatened Disabled Crosfield Workers As Scrooge Council Makes Further Cuts
16 December 2005
The cutting of the funding to the Crosfield Industries specialist work programme in Imperial Way, Croydon is not the end of Croydon Council cuts for the Crosfield employees who work there for a living. The Council has now scrooge like refusing to their Christmas dinner and party too.
GMB trade union has stepped in and has raised funding to pay for a Christmas dinner and Party for the threatened Crosfield’s factory workers which will be held on Monday 19th December 2005 at the factory. Phil Davies, GMB National Secretary, together with GMB staff, members and friends will help out with the funding and preparations and assist on the day. The Crosfield factory supervisors will decorate the canteen. Local catering company Fat Boys will provide the food.
GMB has invited all Croydon Councillors to attend the dinner and explain to the workers why they are closing the project.
On Friday 16th December 2005 12 of the Crosfield workers will be leafleting and gathering signatures for the "Keep Crosfield Open" campaign's petition in Croydon Town Centre (pedestrian precinct at JJB/Virgin Megastores), from 1 p.m. onwards.
The Crosfield workers have a range of disabilities and have received no training or development while at the Crosfield factory. GMB has worked with REMPLOY, the Government’s own sheltered company for many years and has arranged for one of Remploy’s experience advisors to conduct a skills audit at the factory next week in order to develop training and career paths for workers there.
Phil Davies, GMB National Secretary said, “The Government is seeking to move people off of benefits and into work. At the very same time Croydon Council is looking to move these 85 out of work and on to benefits. This means that Croydon Council have left this project to wither on the vine. It has been moving backwards and effectively forcing some of these workers onto benefits when they are already supporting themselves at work. Many of them have vast potential to do much more than they are doing at Crosfield but only by fighting to save the factory can we help them to reach their . The complete reverse of the councils plans for them. The training and development of these workers has been, I feel, deliberately neglected.
We are not down hearted even though the Council have cut the funding of the Christmas Dinner and stuck to their intention to sack our members. GMB is fighting the closure.”
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