Pittards: Unions urge government to support Yeovil glove maker

Pittards, based in Yeovil, Somerset, was founded in 1826

Trade unions have urged the government to support a historic glovemaker amidst uncertainty over its future.

Union officials representing workers at Pittards in Yeovil have urged the UK government to "do more" to help the struggling firm.

The company, which employs around 200 people in Yeovil, filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on 8 August.

A Government spokesperson said it was "here to support those impacted".

Pittards was founded in 1826 and makes gloves for the royal family and emergency services.

But in July, the company told stakeholders it had not managed to secure necessary funds and was looking to find a buyer.

Pittards also has tanneries in Ethiopia

Community Trade Union's national officer for light industries, Gavin Miller, said: "This is an incredibly worrying situation for our members at Pittards, and it's important that the company works alongside our officials on site to support the dedicated workforce at this challenging time.

"It's clear that recent developments at Pittards have not emerged in a vacuum, but rather are symptomatic of the difficult outlook facing manufacturers across the country.

"The situation has not been helped by the UK Government's ambivalence towards our manufacturing sector, as demonstrated by the lack of any feasible support for businesses in response to inflation rises and industrial energy bills."

'Protect good local jobs'

Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress in the south west, Ines Lage, added: "Yeovil and Somerset have been synonymous with high-quality glove making and leather manufacturing over the course of centuries, and Pittards remains a bastion of that proud tradition.

"The current government must do more to protect good local jobs and support businesses like Pittards in the face of ongoing economic pressures."

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: "While this is a commercial decision for the company, we understand that this will be a concerning time for workers at Pittards, and we're here to support those impacted.

"We have backed businesses all of sizes with an unprecedented package of support including recent fuel duty and VAT cuts, business rates holidays and government backed loans worth around £400 billion.

"We will continue to stand firmly behind them."

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