Ericsson closure condemned by Coventry socialist councillor

Ericsson announced on 10 November the axing of 700 workers and the closure of its research and development facility at Ansty, near Coventry. The company had only just completed its move to that site with the financial assistance of the West Midlands development agency.

Coventry Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist said: “It’s about time the government started taking serious action against these footloose multinationals. Ericsson has not made this decision overnight.

“It has used public money to help establish its new research and development centre. Now, like others before it, for example Peugeot, it is exporting those jobs to countries where wage rates are lower and trade unions are weaker, in order to maximise profits.

“The government should intervene and nationalise Ericsson – or are the skills and experience of those workers, in the technologies of the future – optics, mobiles and broadband – worth less than bankers’ bonuses?”