The Government is now facing calls to re-start the tendering process of the Remploy factories.
Graeme Morrice Labour MP for Livingston has urgedthe Government to re-launch the consultation process and has called the process a “shambles”.
Mr Morrice argues that the four week tendering period is far too short for potential bidders to write a comprehensive proposal and he has urged DWP to restart the consultation process and allow more time for bidders to properly develop plans on the future of the Remploy factories.
Further criticising the Government’s handling of the process he stated:
“This Government’s treatment of the thousands of Remploy workers has been nothing short of a disgrace. Iain Duncan Smith has insulted factory staff telling them they don’t do any work and then comprehensively changed the rules of the hunt for potential new owners”.
Ministers at DWP have defended the, Maria Miller Minister at the Department of Work and Pensions that the “it costs more than £20,000 to employ somebody in a Remploy factory. We simply cannot allow that to go on. What we want to do is make money work harder”.
A total of 44 companies have bid to take over the Remploy factories.
