At the same time Unite echoes the call for a revolution in export culture to boost manufacturing outlined in this week’s Cole Commission interim report, Turning the dial on UK Exports, chaired by Agusta Westland CEO, Graham Cole.
Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing Tony Burke said: “We welcome the idea of a minister for trade with a seat in the cabinet and a unified UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and UK Export Finance (UKEF).
we need a trade minister in the cabinet to boost and coordinate the UK’s export efforts
“Basically, we need a trade minister in the cabinet to boost and coordinate the UK’s export efforts. We need a revolution in our export culture, and the UK and its companies have to be in it for the long haul.
“This should be coupled with specialist support for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the supply chain to get into exporting goods through ‘one stop shops’.
“We welcome the commission’s report, as it makes clear that to ensure sustained growth we have to focus on exporting more of our manufactured goods.
“As the report says, we are trading in a different world, and the current system in the UK is too complex and too fragmented.
“The report favours support for the domestic supply chain (re-shoring), as we have in the automotive and aerospace industries, something Unite has argued needs to be extended.
“We also welcome the idea of a mandatory export plan for all public procurements.”
