Between Trump wanting to slap tariffs on our steel and the UK Government refusing to be in a European customs union, UK manufacturing risks being stranded says GMB

GMB, the union for manufacturing workers, has responded the sharpest fall in UK manufacturing output since 2012.

The drop is in April was the highest in almost six years, with a 1.4 per cent fall in factory production marking the third consecutive monthly fall.

The April dip was the steepest fall since October 2012, according to figures out this morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [1]

A recent study by GMB union found Britain’s manufacturing sector has shrunk in the past decade by almost 600,000 jobs to leave fewer than 3 million workers employed in the sector. [2]

Jude Brimble, GMB National Secretary, said:

“Alarm bells should be ringing for the Government over this steep drop in manufacturing output – which is the biggest monthly fall since 2012.

“The uncertainty from the Government’s approach to Brexit is harming UK manufacturing and delaying important business investment decisions that will provide high quality jobs in the years to come.

“Not only is Government dithering hurting industry, it leaves millions of UK workers and their families unable to make long terms plans because they’ve no idea if their jobs are safe.”

“If the Government does have a functioning industrial strategy we need to see it in action. The Government should be fighting for UK manufacturing and ministers must think more about all our UK industries in these crucial Brexit negotiations in the weeks and months ahead.

“Between Trump wanting to slap tariffs on our steel and the UK Government refusing to be in a European customs union, UK manufacturing risks being stranded.”