On Thursday July 19, Remploy workers, many of who are disabled, went on strike to protest against the UK Government’s plans to close their factories.
In this opinion piece, Disabilities Minister Maria Miller sets out the UK Government’s argument on why the factories should close.
If you or someone in your family is disabled and works at one of the five Welsh Remploy factories announced for closure, then I know that this must be a difficult time for you with concerns about the future.
The Remploy Board announced last week that there were 65 proposals for factories across the country – however no viable business plans were put forward for the factories in Aberdare, Abertillery, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea or Wrexham.
I want to reassure all those affected by the announcement, that as well as redundancy money an £8m package of support is there to help you into a mainstream job including a Personal Case Worker to everyone affected with their future choices.
The 181 workers at these five Welsh sites can also access support from Remploy Employment Services, which last year found over 1,500 jobs for disabled and disadvantaged people in these affected areas – many with similar disabilities to those working in Remploy factories.
I want to make it clear to people that this is not about budget cuts. We have protected the £320m budget for specialist disability employment services, but by spending it more effectively we can support thousands more disabled people into work.
That is why we are now implementing the recommendations from leading disability expert Liz Sayce to focus funding on disabled people through successful schemes like Access to Work, instead of segregated factories.
At the moment nearly all the Remploy factories are making significant losses and last year lost a combined £70m. We have a responsibility not only to the 2,000 factory workers but also the other 6.9m disabled people of working age who could benefit from this support.
We have also invested an extra £15m specifically to Access to Work which provides financial support for specially adapted equipment and interpreters so that disabled people can work in mainstream jobs- the same as everyone else.
Access to Work is the type of support which fits the needs and aspirations of disabled people in the 21st century so they can get the same jobs as everyone else to lead full and independent lives.
Our approach has been led by disabled people’s organisations and disabled people themselves, many of whom have welcomed the move to end the pre-war practice of segregated employment.
Anyone interested in applying for this support, can search ‘Access to Work’ at Direct.gov.uk to find out details of our contact centres.
Where's the help for those of us who work at Remploy who aren't disabled? It's hard enough finding a job without a disability so appreciate why those who are get extra funding but there's nothing in place to help the rest of us find a job! What happens to us? I have bills and a family to feed too which job seekers allowance alone would never cover. I will have to move my family and apply for council housing, the waiting lists for which in my area are long. I will have to sell my car to cover my private house rent and utilities until given a council house but then that hinders my chances of getting any decent jobs as I will not be able to travel far with 2 small children at home. I'm highly qualified and applied for many different jobs when I got made redundant from my last company. It took me 1 year to find this job and that was 3 years a go . . . . and it's even harder to find a job now!
Maria Miller has 'cherry picked' aspects of Liz Sayce flawed and highly contentious report to justify her decision to close remploy factories. From the onset, Maria Miller announced her Govt. would not continue to fund Remploy, whilst at the same time proclaiming a period of consultation. This consultation period was a 'sham' and Maria Miller has been less that thruthful throughout the whole process. The financial problems Remploy were encountering could have been rectified. The Unions put forward viable proposals but Maria Miller refused to negotiate with GMB and Unite. Maria Miller's callous decision to close Remploy factories will plunge 1700 vulnerable, frightened disabled men and women into extreme hardship. This is not the way the British people want vulnerable members of society to be treated. Mr. Cameron must call an immediate halt to the annihilation of Remploy.
Sadly, the reality is that most of those who currently work at the Remploy factories which will close will find themselves on benefit for the rest of their lives. Given the depressed state of the economy, people with disabilities are already finding it extremely difficult to find any kind of employment.
This is a shocking move by this heartless and incompetant government.
It will not only mean that all those employed at Remploy will have to claim benefits. In some cases their carers will also have to claim too if they themselves have to leave their jobs to look after the family member made redundant.