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BUSINESS

Furlough extension is vital

to prevent a jobs bloodbath

SURVEY SHOWS REDUNDANCY PLANS ESCALATING AND PROSPECTS FOR NORMAL TRADING RECEDING
ritain’s manufacturers are calling on the people, with many companies based in regions highly unions and other key stakeholders to ensure key skills are
Government to extend the Job Retention dependent on their success. retained and redeployed within manufacturing.
Scheme for strategic industry sectors by six According to Make UK forecasts, the motor vehicles Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, said:
Bmonths in order to avoid the loss of highly sector is forecast to lose 34% of its gross value added this “There is no disguising the fact these redundancy plans
skilled job losses in manufacturing on a scale not seen year while ‘other transport’, which is mainly aerospace, is make for very painful reading. As well as the distressing
since the 1980s. These sectors are of critical importance forecast to be 15% lower. personal impact on livelihoods across the UK, industry
to the long term health of the economy and their Make UK also stressed that the call for specific cannot afford to lose these high value skills which will be
protection is an investment in our industrial future. measures for these sectors would only be equivalent to essential to rebuilding our economy and investing in the
The call by Make UK comes on the back of its latest measures taken by major European competitors in industries of the future.
Manufacturing Monitor survey which shows that the Germany, France and Italy. For example, to date, the “At present, the prospect of a V shaped recovery for
number of companies planning to make redundancies in French Government has provided support, including loans, Industry seems remote. Therefore, if we are to mitigate the
the next six month has risen to 53%. This has continued worth €15bn and €8bn to the aerospace and automotive worst impact of potential job losses Government must
the sharp rise seen in the last three surveys
over an eight week period, rising from 25% to
42% previously and comes despite a gradual
improvement in sales and orders. Almost a
third of companies (32.3%) are planning to
make between 11% and 25% of employees
redundant with just under 8% of companies
planning to make between a quarter and half
their workforce redundant.
In addition, the proportion of companies david.b@atlas.co.uk
expecting a return to normal trading to take
twelve months or longer has risen from just
under a third in the last survey to 42%, while
just 15% of companies are now operating at full capacity. sectors respectively while speculation suggests Italy will extend the furlough scheme for key strategic sectors to
Almost a fifth of companies (18.8%) are operating shortly announce a car scrappage scheme worth €1bn provide them with vital breathing space.”
between a quarter and half capacity and just under a third and a further €10bn to support ongoing furlough schemes He continued: “In addition, Government should
(31.8%) between a half and three quarters. across the economy. Germany has a €3,000 subsidy consider measures similar to those introduced by
In response, Make UK wants the Government to scheme to buy a new electric car whilst a €50bn package competitors to boost demand in the aerospace and
extend the furlough scheme by six months, specifically for has been announced for research and innovation in new automotive industries in particular. These sectors are vital
the automotive and aerospace sectors. In addition to being technologies such as fuel cells and hydrogen. to the future of industry and are at the forefront of
major employers directly, these high value sectors have In tandem, Make UK also re-iterated its call for a developing new technologies which will be essential to
long supply chains employing significant numbers of National Skills Taskforce to be set up involving the trade the success of our economy.

6 INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • July/August 2020