Thousands to gather to 'Unite for Jobs'
16th May 2009
As unemployment this week across the UK rose to more than 2.2
million, Unite, the UK’s biggest union, is to bring thousands of
people from across the country to march in defence of their jobs
this Saturday (May 16th).
The national March for Jobs through central Birmingham will see
workers from every sector of the economy stand together to send a
message to the government that protecting jobs during the recession
must be the number one priority.
Workers from companies including Corus, Jaguar, Vauxhall, United
Biscuits, LDV and Visteon, from the public and private sector, will
converge on the UK's second largest city - and manufacturing
heartland - to call for urgent steps to keep people in work.
Speaking atthe rally, Unite joint general secretary, Derek
Simpson will say: "Some action has been taken to stimulate demand
in the economy and to protect working people from the ravages of
the recession but it’s all been too timid.
"Billions have been spent to save the banks, but those same
banks are still throwing people out of their houses when they can’t
meet their mortgage payments because of a recession those very
banks caused.
"These banks, the banks our members own, won’t lend to
manufacturing companies. They even sack our members working for the
banks. The bosses think that's the answer to the problems
they caused.
"They've taken food from the mouths of our families, threatened
our jobs and homes. Are we are supposed to accept this? The
answer is a simple one, the answer is no."
Unite's joint general secretary Tony Woodley will say: "Our
mission is to get ministers to wake up and act to halt the jobs
crisis. And our message is clear: Workers are not going to pay the
price for the crisis created by bankers.
"There are now more than two million people unemployed, with
250,000 joining the dole queue in the last couple of months alone,
many of them young people, but we cannot risk seeing another
forgotten generation who cannot find work and have their lives
ruined as a result. We must not replay the nightmare 1980s where
there was misery for millions of our people and with whole
communities wrecked.
"We are serving notice on all politicians - securing jobs is now
our priority. And we are not going to take 'no' for an answer."
Unite is pressing for the government to:
- implement a short-time working subsidy to keep people in work
and off the dole
- more sizeable and speedy action to support UK
manufacturing
- more help for business from the state-aided banks
- greater protection for UK workers from redundancy.
To see what the Unite for Jobs demands are or for information on
the march visit: http://action.unitetheunion.org
ENDS
Contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315 or Pauline Doyle on 07976
832 861
ABOUT THE NATIONAL MARCH FOR JOBS
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
Marchers will assemble from 11am at Highfield Road, Birmingham
B15
From noon, they will march along Broad Street to Centenary Square,
Birmingham City Centre
Rally at Centenary Square from 1pm
Speakers include:
- Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, Unite joint general
secretaries
- Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary
- Jim Sheridan MP for Paisley & Renfrewshire North
- Darrell Riley, unemployed steel worker from Birmingham,
Alabama, US
- workers from Corus and Vauxhall who are facing uncertainty
about their jobs
- former trade minister and first time marcher Digby Jones
- and thousands of workers from across the UK who are worried
about their jobs and futures
Email to a friend
