Union Warns SNP to Buy British

LONDON, April 14/PRNewswire/ --

The UK's largest trade union, Unite, is warning the Scottish Government
not to award a GBP150 million rail contract to a foreign train manufacturer.

Unite says it fears that the SNP government is intent on awarding a First
Scot Rail contract for 120 new train carriages to train manufacturer Siemans
which builds trains in the Czech Republic and fits them out in Germany.

The union is backing a rival bid from Bombardier which employs 1800
people at a site in Derby and uses a predominantly UK supply base, involving
key Scottish suppliers.

John Quigley, Regional Secretary for Unite trade union, said:

"This is a prime opportunity for the SNP to back UK plc. If they award
this lucrative contract to Bombardier thousands of Scottish and UK workers
will benefit but if they give it to Siemans, jobs may even be lost.

"We have serious misgivings that the SNP intend to let this work go
abroad which will be a travesty for UK manufacturing. We are demanding an
urgent meeting with the Scottish government to make the case for the bid that
will see UK workers, both north and south of the border, benefit."

As well as sending its' production abroad, Unite says that Siemans' is
fiercely anti-union and resists trade union representation in its plants.

Bombardier is the UK's last train manufacturer, employing 1800 people in
its Derby plant. Bombardier's Scots Rail bid also seeks to maximise the input
of the Scottish suppliers.

The First Scot Rail order is for 120 cars to run on the Glasgow/Ayr and
the Glasgow Airport routes. Two weeks ago trade unions expressed anger when
the Scottish government awarded a new rail operator franchise to Scot Rail
without consultation.

Source: Unite the Union

Please call Catherine Bithell in the Unite press office for further information on +44(0)7958-473-224

2008-04-13 19:03:34 0334266 PRNEWSWIRE