Sofa company boss hits back at Home Secretary Amber Rudd after she complained his factory was recruiting too many foreign workers

  • Rudd complained factory was recruiting 'almost exclusively' from EU
  • Jibe as she unveiled plan for firms to reveal proportion of foreign workers
  • But sofa company boss has said the comments were 'disappointing' 

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Published: 05:41 EST, 6 October 2016 | Updated: 06:52 EST, 6 October 2016

The boss of a sofa company criticised by Amber Rudd for employing too many foreign workers has hit back - insisting 75 per cent of staff are British.

The Home Secretary appeared to level a jibe at the firm during the Tory conference this week.

In an interview Mrs Rudd said she had visited a factory in her Hastings constituency that 'recruited almost exclusively from Romania and Poland' - complaining that it 'did not even consider training locally'.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd complained about a factory in her Hastings constituency that 'almost exclusively' recruited from Romania and Poland 

Home Secretary Amber Rudd complained about a factory in her Hastings constituency that 'almost exclusively' recruited from Romania and Poland 

The comments came as Mrs Rudd unveiled plans to make businesses reveal what proportion of their workers came from abroad. 

But Matt O'Flynn, managing director of sofa manufacturer Collins and Hayes, said the remarks were 'disappointing'.

He said he believed Mrs Rudd had been referring to a visit she made last year to his company, which supplies John Lewis and Furniture Village.

'She's our local MP and we are a company that's been going through a lot of reorganisation and investment in infrastructure, so we wanted to show her what we were doing to invest in her constituency,' Mr O'Flynn told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr O'Flynn added: 'We are very committed to working with the local community to bring in as much talent as we possibly.

'75 per cent of our employees are British and whenever we have an increase in demand, we have to bring in some skilled workers. 

'In one of our departments we have a higher degree of foreign nationals than we do elsewhere in the business.

'That would be the only areas I can think of that Amber is getting her figures from.'

Speaking to the BBC during the conference this week, Mrs Rudd said: 'I went and visited a factory quite recently where they recruit almost exclusively from Romania and Poland, where they have people who have experience in factories building these sofas that they have.

'They didn't even consider training locally - there was a local college they could have worked with, but they choose to recruit outside the UK.' 

Mrs Rudd announced a consultation would be launched on possible steps to control immigration in her speech to the Conservative conference on Tuesday.

The suggestion that firms may have to reveal the proportion of their workforce which is from overseas drew fierce criticism.

Theresa May signalled her determination to get immigration under control during her key note speech to Conservative conference yesterday

Theresa May signalled her determination to get immigration under control during her key note speech to Conservative conference yesterday

The head of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the move would amount to a 'badge of shame' for businesses struggling to meet skills demands in the UK.

Acting director-general of the BCC Adam Marshall said: 'A lot of businesses would be saddened if they felt having a global workforce was somehow seen as a badge of shame.

'Companies do so much here in the UK to train up their workers and of course look for local hires before going to the overseas market, so I don't think they should be penalised for having to do so when they have specific skills needs.'

Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham attacked the proposal, saying: 'The idea of British companies producing lists of foreign workers runs counter to everything that this country has ever stood for.

'It would be divisive, discriminatory and risks creating real hostility in workplaces and communities.

'If the Government proceeds with legislation in this area, it will face the mother of all battles.'

He added: 'The tone of the Conservative conference has become increasingly xenophobic. Theresa May has presided over the return of the Nasty Party.' 

 

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