A CROSS-PARTY group of councillors have voted unanimously to support trade unions in their bid to protect the Ayrshire aerospace industry.

Members of East Ayrshire Council Executive Committee agreed to support the Unite Union’s blueprint to allow the sector to continue to operate and meet new demands in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The cross-party group recognised that the aerospace cluster at Prestwick plays a key role in the local economy with some 4,000 employees, many of whom are East Ayrshire residents.

Speaking on behalf of the commitee Councillor Douglas Reid said: “We wholeheartedly and collectively support the actions of Unite Union in their efforts to protect the aerospace industry. This is a sector of high skill, high quality jobs and we need to do all we can to retain those skills and those jobs for the future.”

Councillor John McGhee added: “The aerospace industry has a long standing legacy in Ayrshire, having employed generations of local families, and we must do all we can to preserve opportunities for future generations.”

Councillors will now write to the UK and Scottish governments asking for more support.