REPORT: MAY 29^TH DEMONSTRATION AT RADAR IN PROTEST AT “TROJAN HORSE” ROLE OF DISABLED CHARITIES IN CLOSURE OF 54 REMPLOY FACTORIES

Report of protest against the grotesque chaos of disabled charities – disabled charities – being used as Trojan horses to enable redundancy notices for over 2,800 disabled workers in 54 locations across the UK says GMB 

Remploy disabled workers who face redundancy are in London from Monday 28th May for a Week of Action to coincide with the TUC Disability conference which starts in London Wednesday (30th May).  See below for details of what is planned.

There was a demonstration this morning 29^th May 2012 outside the offices of RADAR – now renamed Disability Rights UK– to protest that this organization and five others with the Sayce Report opened the way for the Ministerial statement on 7th March the House of Commons.

The Sayce report was used as the “Trojan horse” for closing  36 of the 54 remaining Remploy sites with compulsory redundancy for 1,752 people of whom 1,518 of these are disabled. The statement envisages the complete closure of all 54 factories in due course leading to 2,800 disabled workers jobs being lost.

The Remploy factories schedules to close in the first wave are as follows: Aberdare, Aberdeen, Abertillery, Acton, Ashington, Barking, Barrow, Birkenhead, Bolton, Bridgend, Bristol, Chesterfield, Cleator Moor, Croespenmaen, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil, Motherwell, Newcastle, North London, North Staffs, Oldham, Penzance, Pontefract, Poole, Preston, Southampton, Spennymoor, Springburn, Swansea, Wigan, Worksop and Wrexham. 

The demonstration, with a large black horse to signify the trojan horse, took place outside the offices of Disability Rights UK12 City Forum, 250 City Road, London, EC1V 8AF. They set up tents in the green space opposite this office. Pictures are available from charlotte.gregory@gmb.org.uk . 

Phil Davies GMB National Secretary said “Remploy Disabled workers facing redundancy  protested that the Sayce Report, supported by RADAR, Mind, Mencap, Scope, RNID and Leonard Cheshire, is being used as a “ Trojan horse” to close the Remploy factories. 

These six organizations started with an aspiration we all share where all disabled people are treated in an equal way in employment and that ideal state may lead to a completely different view of what support is required.

This is what happens when you make “the best” the enemy of the “good”.

You start with resolutions that will not be achieved in the short run. They are then pickled into a rigid dogma, a code, and you go through the years sticking to that ignoring real needs, and you end in the grotesque chaos of disabled charities – disabled charities – being used as Trojan horses to enable redundancy notices for more than 2,800 disabled workers in 54 locations across the UK.

Radar characterise Remploy as some out of date solution with attempts to stigmatise it as a form of ghettoisation and linking it to old institutional forms. In no way can modern day Remploy be characterised in this way”

Kevin Hepworth Unite National Secretary said “It is absolutely appalling that a disabled charity like RADAR can condone the sacking of disabled workers”

Remploy week of action:

LONDON

–         Monday 28th May

o        Euston Train Station: Leafleting from 3pm

–         Tuesday 29th May

o        11:00am: RADAR demo    

o        3:00pm:        Meeting of the GMB TUC Conference Delegates

o        5:00pm         Leafleting Euston Train Station (1hr)

–         Wednesday 30th May

o        TUC Conference

o        5:00pm         Leafleting Tottenham Court Road (1hr)

–         Thursday 31st May

o        8am:             Leafleting Kings Cross Station (1hr)

o        5pm:             Leafleting British Museum (1hr)

CARDIFF

–         Friday 1st June

o        11:30am:      Joint Rally

www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/latest_news/radar_is_remploy_trojan_horse