POLLY Billington, PPC for Thurrock and Mike Le-Surf PPC for South Basildon and East Thurrock, visited the Port of London on Monday.
YT’s Mike Jones joined them on the river to talk about the issues, problems and opportunities that face a riverside economy.
Polly Billington said:
“Seeing our community and our economy from the river is fascinating and inspiring. We have a great history and potentially a great future. What worries me though is even as great initiatives like DP world are built, we as a community run the risk of not benefiting fully from them.
“DP World have pledged to recruit locally, but have yet to reveal the results of that recruitment. It is important that such a big local employer has the trust of the community and is making every effort to ensure local people get the chance to work there. It is disappointing that despite several requests from my colleague Mike Le-Surf, Labour candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock, that information has not been forthcoming. Both of us think our communities deserve some straight answers from DP World.
Mike Le Surf said:
“The Thames Gateway offers many opportunities and I am keen to make sure that residents of South Basildon & East Thurrock are real beneficiaries. Massive investment must bring increased employment & improved infrastructure to the area.”
So which union sponsoring Amnesia Polly wants to get their claws into DP Wrold. I believe the Smurf is backed by Unite, that moderate union that’s spent the last year slagging DP World off for not recognising them as a representative union on their site. How to win friends and influence people. So that’s the banks, the energy companies, DP world, Nurseries. Who else can Labour slag off in the business world.
Will Polly be asking the same question of Thurrock Council ?
Are they recruiting locally and are their contractors doing the same ?