Help UK ceramics industry or ‘lose piece of national identity’, government told | Manufacturing sector
Britain will lose a piece of its national identity if the country’s ceramics industry is allowed to fall further into crisis without state aid, the government has warned.
Ceramics manufacturers, including Staffordshire’s struggling potters, have come under huge pressure due to factors such as sky-high energy costs leading to job losses in the UK.
In a report, unions and the Green Alliance think tank called on the government to step in to support the century-old industry.
Chris Hoofe of the GMB union said: “Tens of thousands of working class jobs depend on the ceramics industry, so we cannot leave the future of this industry to chance. But so far we are not seeing enough action from a government grappling with the unique challenges facing the industry.”
“We need to take action on gas pricing and end unnecessary red tape, and we need it fast.”
While successive governments have offered some support to energy-intensive industries such as steel and aluminium, to help them cope with Britain’s relatively high energy costs, the Trades Union Congress said there was not enough help for pottery.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Britain’s ceramics industry is a fundamental part of our national identity and a vital economic powerhouse for the whole country.
“It is a critical enabler of key strategic sectors, from energy to defence, medical technology to advanced manufacturing. But for too long the ceramics industry has been chronically ignored and undersupported, and is now on its knees due to sky-high energy bills, unfair dumping of cheap imports and years of underinvestment.”
Green Alliance’s Cath Smith said the sector, which employs 20,000 people, was now at a “critical point”.
“The budget presented some positive steps, but ceramics has needs [the] “The government needs to go further, faster,” he said.
“Decarbonisation, with immediate support, offers a way to future-proof the sector, but this will only be achieved through action to reduce industrial energy costs, combat unfair trading and targeted capital support to help modernize plants. Without this, the UK risks losing strategic capabilities from which we may not be able to return.”
A Department of Business and Trade spokesman said: “We are aware of the challenges faced by pottery and ceramic businesses across the country.
“Our industrial strategy has included measures to support the sector, including our supercharging scheme that will reduce energy prices as part of the change plan, and a new British industrial competitiveness plan will seek to reduce electricity bills for manufacturing sectors such as ceramics by up to 25%.”
