UK union to decide on Scottish spending?
The UK’s largest union has called on the Scottish Government not to award a multimillion-pound train carriage contract to a foreign manufacturer.
Unite said the Nationalist administration was “intent” on handing the £150-million deal for 120 carriages to German engineering giant Siemens. The company builds trains in the Czech Republic and fits them out in Germany, the union said.
Instead, the contract should be awarded to rival company Bombardier to safeguard jobs in England and Scotland, the union argued.
If Siemens were to win, it would be “a travesty for UK manufacturing” and lead to job losses in Britain, a spokesman said.
A Scottish government spokesman said it would be “premature” to say who might be awarded the contract while the tendering process was under way.
If the contract was to be awarded to a non-foreign manufacturer, will Unite cough up any premium to Scotland, from its reserves of members’ dues, so that the Scots are not out of pocket for taking the union’s advice?
Maybe Unite will call the rest of the UK out on strike if the Scottish Government doesn’t comply with its directive, and the contract goes to Siemens.
