Babcock announces the closing of the historical ship yard of Appledore



Babcock International has announced the closing of the historical ship yard of Appledore, that she is situated on the matting of the Torridge river, in Devon. The British group has explained that the current lease with sscadenza in March 2019 will not be renewed. The plant has begun the activity in 1855 and in its 163 years of life it has constructed beyond 350 ships is cargo vessels that military. From 2007 it has become of property of the Babcock group, than work in the fields of the defense, the transports and the nuclear facilities.

Emphasizing as that to close the historical plant has been a decision difficult to assume, the British company has specified that it will offer to opportunity of transfer near other structures of the group for all the 199 dependent of the Appledore yard.

In a sent letter Wednesday slid from the secretary to the Defense, Gavin Williamson, to the deputy Goeffey Cox, which elected in the electoral college of Torridge and West Devon, the member of the government has specified that its ministry and same it have had numerous encounters with the representatives of Babcock in order to estimate the possible options for the future of the ship yard, between which the possible allocation of work for 60 million pounds to the ship yard of Devonport of the Babcock group that would have guaranteed job also to the plant of Appledore.

Williamson has announced that by the negotiations she is emerged that these work would not have assured a future one in the long term to the yard of Appledore. Moreover the secretary to the Defense has specified that Babcock has not assured that would have maintained in activity the yard of Appledore if the aid offered from the Ministry as this program of work were granted. The minister has evidenced that therefore the future of Appledore is legacy to a commercial decision of the company, decision made official yesterday that he has provoked the hard reaction of unions GMB and Joined the Union that had launch a petition for the rescue of the ship yard that has collected about 10 thousand subscriptions.

"This news - Jake Mclean, delegated of GMB near Appledore has said, commenting the announcement of the decision of Babcock to close the yard - is a hard blow for the workers and the local community. We want answers from the government and Babcock on the offered package in order to save the yard".

"The first reaction - the regional representative of the union has declared Joined, Heathcliffe Pettifer - is of consternation and anger because the competent workers of this historical yard must face a so uncertain future. We consider that the government could have made very more in order to guarantee future job for Appledore and that the secretary to the Defense, Gavin Williamson, when it has said that it was be a matter of a commercial decision of the society as Ponzio Pilato if by it is washed the hands. We ask that the issue is examined with urgency to the Chamber. As we have many times over emphasized, the impact of the closing of the yard on the economy of Devon will be wide, devastates and long-lasting. It is a hard blow for the workers and the economy of the west of the Country".

"This shameful decision - it has added the vice general secretary of the Joined ones, Steve Turner - represents a treason regarding the loyal one and characterized force job and of their community. It is a dark day for shipbuilding Appledore and the naval one of the United Kingdom. Joined it will be engaged immediately with the company in order to guarantee and to safeguard the places of work and the interests of our associates".