- 10/09/2013
- Posted by: Ken Skates MS
- Category: News
LABOUR AM KEN SKATES will spend a day working for one of Clwyd South’s major employers as part of a trade union project aimed at giving politicians an insight into their constituents’ jobs.
The Unite programme will see Mr Skates take a short break from Welsh Government duties to work at Kronospan, the wood panel manufacturer in Chirk, on Thursday, September 19.
The plant, founded in 1970, employs more than 600 people – 90% of whom live within 10 miles.
Unite said the ‘Walk a Day in our Shoes’ scheme matches Assembly Members with fellow union members in their constituency who they shadow to get a proper feel for what they do day to day.
Clwyd South AM Mr Skates: “I am really looking forward to taking part in this Unite initiative, working alongside my constituents and seeing first-hand the type of job they do.
“Kronospan is a major local employer and plays a key role in the economy of our area of North Wales. I have visited the factory several times before, but this will be a different experience altogether and I’m sure it’ll be an eye-opener wearing someone else’s shoes for the day.”
Unite rep at Kronospan, Tony Clarke, said: “It is great to have the opportunity to take part in the union’s ‘Walk a Day in our Shoes’ programme and bring my local AM and fellow Unite member Ken Skates into Kronospan.
“I hope it offers a chance for both myself and colleagues to give Ken a real taste for what we do each day and to talk through any concerns from outside the workplace.”
