MP meets union at jobs protest (From Barry And District News)

MP meets union at jobs protest

AT a Lobby event of Parliament organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith met with Trade Union officials representing workers at St Athan.

They were protesting against proposed job cuts in aviation repair and the privatisation of services in the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Following his meeting with the Trade Union representatives, John Smith said: "I share the workers' deep concerns about job cuts in aviation repair.

"A recent Defence Select Committee report strongly criticised the MOD's decision to transfer work from Dara St Athan to RAF bases in England.

"We have argued that the decision would place at risk the front-line capability of the RAF.

"It is vital that the St Athan bid for theDefence Training College succeeds if we are to deliver further employment opportunities for the highly skilled workforce at St Athan and achieve a world-renowned centre of excellence."

Last week, Mr Smith met with Trade Union representatives to discuss St Athan's bid to become the home of a Defence Training Academy, which is worth up to 20bn.