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22
January 2007
Tom
Jones Blasts Burberry
Closure
Singer
Tom
Jones
has added his voice to
calls for UK clothing
brand Burberry
to reverse the plans to
close its Rhondda
manufacturing plant.
The
Pontypridd-born star
said he knew "how
important this factory
has been to the local
community".
Burberry
plans to shut the site
in Treorchy in March,
with the loss of 300
jobs, claiming it is no
longer
viable.
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Rhondda
MP Chris Bryant is to
call on the Commons to
review the way Royal
Warrants are given to
firms.
Burberry,
which has "by
appointment" Royal
Warrants with the Queen
and the Prince of Wales,
has been criticised for
promoting itself as a UK
brand while planning to
axe one of its British
manufacturing
sites.
Treorchy's
production of polo
shirts will be moved to
China.
The
decision came as the
firm announced a 22%
increase in revenue,
with total sales over
the last three months of
2006 rising to
£206m.
MPs
on the Welsh Affairs
Select Committee, who
are holding an inquiry
on the effects of
globalisation, are to
question Burberry bosses
about their
decision.
Other
stars who have lent
their name to the
campaign against the
factory's closure
include Hollywood actors
Ioan Gruffudd - one of
the company's "faces" -
and Rhys Ifans and
double Oscar winner Emma
Thompson as well as the
opera singer Bryn
Terfel.
Sir
Tom, 66, wrote to
Rhondda AM Leighton
Andrews.
"As
a local boy, I know how
important this factory
has been to the
community in the
Rhondda. I therefore
urge the Burberry
management to withdraw
their plans to close
their Treorchy
factory."
The
workers' campaign has
included a demonstration
outside the firm's
stores in London's
Regent Street and New
Bond St.
A
second protest is
planned for 27 January
2007.
Chris
Bryant has a debate in
the Commons on Tuesday
about the rules
governing the awards of
Royal
Warrants.
He
said: "A Royal Warrant
is our national seal of
approval and it should
only go to great British
companies that stand by
traditional British
values. Any company that
cannot say how much the
workers making its goods
overseas are paid - or
cannot guarantee that
children will not be
used in their factories
- should lose that seal
of approval."
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