Brick manufacturing supports more than 10,000 jobs, but with factories starting to close, many of these are under threat.

Dozens of employees of firms such as Wienerberger, Ibstock and Forterra will take part in a round table meeting today with Labour shadow ministers, including shadow levelling up minister Mike Amesbury and shadow minister for exports Tan Dhesi.

Despite profits of more than £300m in 2022, rocketing energy prices and a slowdown in house-building have resulted in companies stockpiling bricks, closing factories and cutting jobs over the past year.

GMB has written to levelling up secretary of state Michael Gove requesting a meeting to discuss the matter but says it has received no reply.

GMB national officer Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said: “The brick industry is on the brink of collapse at the same time we don’t have enough houses for people to live in. It’s utterly ridiculous.

“Rocketing energy prices and a government that cannot, or will not, meet its own homebuilding targets have left the industry on the edge. GMB members are here today to show they won’t take that lying down.”

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