Coalition speeds up sacking process as Hull jobs go

Diana Johnson MP has reacted to Coalition Government plans, announced today, to reduce the minimum legal consultation period for making workers redundant from 90 days to 45 days.

The news comes on the same day as Comet closed their final stores and Seven Seas announced that they will go ahead with closure of their Hull plant. The combined job losses in the Hull area from these two closures could amount to around 460.

Hull North MP Diana Johnson said: "Even this Government could not invent a more insensitive insult to Hull than to announce plans making it faster to sack workers on the same day as the final closure of Comet, and as the export of Seven Seas jobs is finally confirmed, weeks before the end of their 90 day consultation. This is Christmas in Coalition Britain.

"I note that Lib Dem ministers have gladly taken the lead in announcing the cut in redundancy notice period from 90 days to 45. It's the latest Lib Dem betrayal for Hull, where we've had so many recent job losses under the Coalition, that they now want to half the time that it takes to sack workers.

"When we've been campaigning to save jobs in and around Hull, such as at BAE Systems, the 90 day consultation period has been a vital breathing space to enable all parties to look at alternative business plans to protect local jobs.

"The idea that moving back towards 19th Century labour laws will help to create jobs in the 21st Century is bizarre, and no match for a real jobs, growth and regeneration strategy. For the third Christmas running, Lib Dems are playing the role of Scrooge but, unlike Scrooge, they show no sign of changing for the better."