Rolls-Royce factory to close over Christmas amid strike action

A Rolls-Royce factory where workers are taking strike action in a dispute over jobs is to close for an extended shutdown over Christmas, according to a union.

Unite criticised the move to close the aerospace factory in Barnoldswick, Lancashire from Friday until after Christmas, saying the company was offshoring work around the globe.

Unite members have been undertaking targeted strike action since November 6, which was due to end on Christmas Eve, in a campaign to secure the future of the factory where Trent engine blades are produced.

In a briefing, staff were told that "on the basis of health and safety" the site would close for an extended Christmas shutdown. Work currently undertaken at Barnoldswick will be transferred to Japan, Singapore and Spain, said Unite.

Unite regional officer Ross Quinn said: "The decision to lock workers out of Barnoldswick before Christmas and to immediately offshore work at the factory demonstrates that Rolls-Royce has no intention of negotiating or consulting its loyal workers on its plans.

"Workers at Barnoldswick, who take huge pride in their work, began targeted industrial action as a last resort in order to ensure the future of the historic factory."

Unite has warned that plans announced earlier this year to offshore work to Singapore would make the factory potentially unviable.

National officer Rhys McCarthy said: "Since Rolls-Royce first announced its intentions, Unite has been crystal clear that it was fully prepared to negotiate to secure the future of Barnoldswick and this still remains the case."

A Rolls-Royce spokesman said: "We always have a shutdown of our UK facilities over Christmas.

"In Barnoldswick we are having to carry out that shutdown early because the staff who help us close the site safely and securely are planning to be on strike from the end of this month.

"We will be furloughing employees - on 80% of their normal pay - but will not be claiming this money back from the UK Government.

"Due to the length of the shutdown which the strike action has caused, we will have to source parts that would normally be made in Barnoldswick from other parts of our supply chain but that is not the same as moving work overseas."