MP’s last-ditch bid to save HP Erskine jobs

Jun 30 2009 by Andrew Newport, Paisley Daily Express

MP Jim Sheridan has met with Hewlett Packard bosses in a bid to persuade them not to cull hundreds of jobs in Erskine.

The Labour man joined Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy and Ian Lucas, Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform, to discuss the company’s relocation of their manufacturing operation from their Erskine facility to the Czech Republic.

If the move goes ahead it will mean 700 people will lose their jobs.

Mr Sheridan said: “Having met with Government Ministers and senior management at Hewlett Packard, they have claimed that rising transportation costs have driven the decision to relocate from Erskine to Eastern Europe.

“Whilst we asked that Hewlett Packard reconsider it seems unlikely that they will do so despite exploring what assistance could be available were they to do so.

“Central to our discussions was the moral obligation on Hewlett Packard to ensure that all employees affected receive an adequate and consistent redundancy package.

“Along with Unite the union we will be seeking information on what consultation and redundancy package the company’s workers based in Germany will receive. British workers should not be treated any differently.

“Senior management did emphasise that the quality of work produced by the workers in Erskine was second to none, and whilst there may not be a legal obligation by Hewlett Packard to determine that the redundancy package is adequate there is in my view a moral imperative.”