SAY NO TO PEUGEOT

Amicus and the T&G unions went full stream ahead in June, with a £1m campaign against car marker Peugeot-Citroen with national newspaper adverts urging people not to buy Peugeot and Citroen cars if the company proceeds with the closure of its Ryton plant in Coventry.

Full page adverts in the english editions of The Mirror and Guardian newspapers appeared in June and marked the beginning of a national boycott campaign, unless the company meets unions to consider plans to save production at the plant.

Peugeot announced in April that the Coventry factory will shut next year, with the direct loss of 2,300 jobs, and move production to France and low-wage Slovakia.

Both Amicus and T&G want Peugeot to keep Ryton open on the basis of the unions' survival plan - or they will be calling on private and company car buyers to penalize Peugeot for putting still-greater profits before their loyal British workforce.

Derek Simpson, general secretary of Amicus, said, "Companies that seek to sell in Britain should build in Britain.

"We believe the wider British public will want to send a powerful message to companies like Peugeot that are prepared to close profitable and productive plants here in the UK and lay off loyal, skilled and hard working employees and a drop in sales will really hit them where in hurts.

"We need to draw a line in the sand and say to companies that behave in this way that there will be consequences for their actions," he added.

Amicus is also campaigning for the strengthening of UK labour laws to stop workers here being more vulnerable to redundancy than those on the continent.

“Peugeot boycott radio ad gagged by unjust law” say unions

Embargoed until 00.01 10th July 2007 

Plans by Amicus and T&G to extend the Peugeot boycott campaign to the airwaves have been dashed by a law that specifically forbids trade unions from mentioning employers or industrial disputes.

The radio ad, featuring the familiar voices of actors, Gary Webster (Minder), Alan McKenna (starting in Eastenders soon), Phil Middlemiss (Corre and Where the Heart is) and Nicola Duffett (Eastenders and Family Affairs), would have had a similar theme to the posters and newspaper ads which ask car buyers to “Think of England” and support the sacked Peugeot workers.

Section 15 of the Radio Advertising Standards code limits trade unions to advertising their services to members and expressly prevents them from making statements about disputes or from stating facts about employers.

The ad that was to run four times a day on various independent radio stations throughout August will now never see the light of day.

The unions are pledged to step up their campaign against the closure of Peugeot's Ryton plant with a day of action on Saturday 15th July. Trade union members will demonstrate and distribute leaflets outside Peugeot dealerships up and down the country.

Amicus General Secretary Derek Simpson said,

“It is outrageous that trade unions are prevented from explaining to the public the simple fact that Peugeot have sacked 2,000 people from a profitable plant in the Coventry in search of ever greater profits by exploiting low wages in Eastern Europe.”

“We want to give consumers who are interested in making ethical car purchases the information they need to do this. They need to know how Peugeot have behaved but we can't tell them. Amicus will raise this injustice with the government at the highest level.”

T&G General Secretary Tony Woodley said,

“The public need to know we are fighting back with our members in Peugeot against the closure of a profitable car plant. They need to know the unions have put forward positive plans to save the factory which Peugeot has ignored. And the public need to know there is support from industry experts and, now, show business for our campaign. The law has gagged us from saying this on the radio, but we'll say it all the same.”

Lobby Peugeot - write to Jean-Martin Folz, PSA Peugeot, 75 Avenue de la Grande Armée, F-75116 Paris, France and tell him why you're supporting the boycott.

Lobby your MP - write to your MP about our campaign at the House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.