UNION leaders who claim the North-East is “haemorrhaging” manufacturing jobs have called on the Government to invest in industry.
A study by the GMB has shown that 36,000 jobs in the sector disappeared from 2006 to 2016, a fall of 22 per cent.
It said the lost jobs have meant the region has seen £550m less paid in manufacturing wages.
Billy Coates, GMB regional secretary, said: “We should cherish our manufacturing sector, but instead successive governments have driven it into the ground through a lack of investment and tendering processes that hamper our homegrown businesses.
“Manufacturing wages are 20 per cent higher than the national average, and the sector is a keystone of the wider economy. These are jobs worth fighting for.
“Instead the Northern Powerhouse is being left to rack and ruin - and if this sad decline is not addressed then the next generation in the North-East will surely pay the price.”
However, speaking of the current political environment in the country, a North-East university lecturer described the UK’s manufacturing sector as “strong”.
Dr Christos Tsinopoulos, senior lecturer in operations and project management at Durham University Business School, said: “It is
encouraging to see that developing and implementing a coherent industrial strategy remains one of the key intentions of Whitehall.
“It would be great to see more initiatives that support those elements that have made the supply chain strong.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here