ENGINEERS from East Lancashire factories are joining a march calling on the government to protect and develop British manufacturing.

Union leaders say 3,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the North West this year.

BAE Systems announced 1,000 losses in April for its Samlesbury site, and another 700 at its Barrow shipyard.

Lancashire workers from Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Baxi Potterton and Hurel Espana are among those travelling to a rally orgainsed by engineering trade union Amicus in Manchester on Saturday.

Staff and families from Barnoldswick, Padiham, Burnley, Blackburn, Samlesbury and Preston are travelling by coach to the demonstration, which starts at 11am in Whitworth Park and reaches Great Northern Square at noon.

Amicus wants greater employment protection, increased investment in training and research-and-investment, and new policies favouring UK companies when the government awards public contracts .

Its convenor at Padiham's Baxi Potterton factory, Jimmy Ellis, 43, said: "About 25 workers are going from here.

"Unless we raise manufacturing's profile, there will be nothing left in 20 years. This country is being de-skilled and we don't even have a government minister specifically for manufacturing.

"We also believe British redundancy laws here are really weak, compared to France and Germany, where things are more stringent. It's easier for companies to uproot from the UK and relocate to third world countries."

He added: "Baxi is currently investing at Padiham, which we welcome. It's developing a new product and 100 extra jobs could be created.

"However, there is also competition from its sister-companies in Turkey and China, which makes us feel threatened in the long-term."