Don't Break Britain, union urges: jobs, anxiety and money worries
mount as workers feel pain of cuts
19 January 2011
Britain is becoming divided, impoverished and increasingly
forced into insecure working – with growing worries about the
government’s programmes for education, the economy and the health
service.
These are the main findings of a two month exercise tracking
members of the country's biggest union, Unite, as they deal with
the mounting threat to the jobs and standards of
living.
The results, which have so far drawn responses from 50,000 Unite
members in both the private and public sectors, reveal a picture of
working people worried about money, living under tremendous stress
and frightened about the cuts to come. Workers with families,
cities in the Midlands and the north, and minority ethnic workers
in London are reporting especially high responses to the survey,
suggesting that they are already being hit hard by the first wave
of cuts.
And as unemployment grows, workers are reporting that in addition
to lay-offs, employers are also cutting pay and increasingly
turning to agency workers, who have no rights.
The findings are released as Unite launches its campaign to support
communities standing up against the cuts. Don’t Break Britain will
see the union use its reach across both the private and public
sectors to support community action against the cuts while
nationally making the case for a more humane, economically sensible
alternative to the strategy of paying down the deficit through
massive cuts alone.
They show that:
- Workers in their late 30s and early 40s with families and
single people in the cities are frightened for the
future.
- South Yorkshire, South Wales, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire,
are the regions where workers are most worried.
- Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester and London are the cities
where workers report the greatest jobs fears
- Middle-aged couples between 45-55 with children in their late
teens, who live in council housing areas are suffering from drops
in income and services. Main areas of residence for this
group are towns in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as
Birmingham.
- In the urban areas, mainly London, it is single people from
diverse ethnic backgrounds, working in public and voluntary sectors
and in their 30-40s who are most anxious for their
futures.
- Greatest concerns are education, jobs/economy and the health
service. Immigration, a key major concern of working people
at the last election, has dropped to the bottom on the list of
worries.
- The most commonly reported imposed changes in terms and
conditions are reduction in pay, hours, overtime, holiday and sick
pay; roles being outsourced to the private sector and greater use
of agencies; removal of support services such as youth and care
services.
Unite general secretary-elect Len McCluskey said: “Never mind Nick
Clegg’s alarm clock Britain – this is alarm bell Britain.
“This is clear, unequivocal proof that working people striving to
raise their families and do a decent job are being kicked in the
teeth by this government.
“It is heart-breaking to hear of workers, who are not well paid,
told their salaries will be slashed. It is take a cut or take a
hike. What on earth has this got to do with growing our
economy?
"Or to learn of the elderly and vulnerable who will lose the
services that make every difference to the quality of their lives.
Who gave Mssrs Cameron and Clegg the right to pull the rug out from
under these people?
“This wanton social vandalism will not create one penny in national
wealth, in fact it will cost us in unemployment benefits and social
despair.
"With bankers lining up to line their pockets while workers worry
about every penny, we are not all in this together.
"This government is breaking Britain. There are more economically
effective, more humane ways to address the deficit. That is
why Unite will stand shoulder to shoulder with people on streets
and communities up and down the country as they defend their way of
lives and the services they hold dear.”
Through Don't Break Britain, Unite will work with communities under
attack, using social media to bring workers together and foster
campaigns against the cuts. The union is also mobilising for
a huge turnout at the March for the Alternative in the capital on
March 26.
Among the changes in policy direction Unite is pressing for as a
matter of urgency are:
- Recalibration of the taxation system so that it to tackle the
deficit. The treasury loses between £25 billion - £40 billion per
annum in legitimate tax avoidance – this should be clawed back and
redirected towards services for the public good.
- Central government to become the engine for regeneration.
Strategic investments reap rewards far beyond the original outlay -
a £6 billion investment in affordable social housing would build
100,000 new homes and create 750,000 new jobs in construction and
the manufacturing supply chain.
- Wasteful, ill-considered and unwanted plans to change the NHS
abandoned. These will cost around £3 billion at a time of
austerity, will give the private sector a grasp on an essential
public service and reverse a decade of health
improvements.
- No destruction of youth services, which cost £300 million per
year but more than pay back the outlay through
prevention.
- Government plans to scrap the dedicated, professional service
of 50 years standing to replace it with a £350 million three week
"boot camp".
A picture of jobs going, service provision
shattering
Conducted by independent behaviour research company, Mass 1, the
poll captured 50,000 members’ attitudes to the cuts during December
and January. The poll will be repeated in the coming months.
Some of the qualitative responses reveal what is happening on the
ground:
“Many, many jobs going at Knowsley council. Notices have been
given out people asked to re-apply for their jobs which are now
lower paid.”
“In Newham, we have been told 1,600 jobs will be going mainly
manual workers. They are not talking redundancies but
sacking.”
“Rhondda Cynon Taff could be shedding 10,000 jobs.”
“The whole of Bradford council has been issued a section 118. I am
a youth worker waiting to hear if our youth service will
exist.”
“Ward and bed closures, staffing levels at dangerous levels,
unachievable workload in Royal Hospital Belfast.”
“Millions of cut backs in Milton Keynes. Thirty nine
different areas of cuts including local libraries. These
important to community wellbeing and future of Milton
Keynes.”
“Jobs going at council where I’m based. Police both admin and
reduction in uniform police. My hrs will be cut, not sure by how
much. (cuts to) domestic violence outreach.”
“Weekend enhancements\overtime stopped. Making Basic only £18000
instead of previous £24000 and everything is dearer. Wage freeze
for 2years. (Renfrewshire council).
“My brother is a band 6 A&E nurse in London He now gets paid as
a band 5 nurse but still expected to do all the duties as a band
6. He loses several thousand a year.”
“There have been crushing cuts here in Aberdeen. In many areas,
namely in the field of Mental Health, where the cuts making
vulnerable, infirm as well as mental and physically people stay
indoors rather than be able to get out and mix with people.”
“Using agency and temps more and more management ignoring the full
time employee.”
“I'm starting to see our neighbourhood flooded with jobless
people. Every corner I see young people hanging out. I
am also jobless I cant even pay for my own education. The
cuts are making my life hell.”
“My local council is being forced to close half of the 28 libraries
in the area due to government cuts.”
“Local library is going. My job is going. I am a housing advice
worker funded by London councils. They are scrapping pretty much
all funding.
“At xxxx - a new distribution centre - warehouse staff rates cut
from c£9\hr to c£6\ hr. At xxx - contracted drivers salary reduced
from £32k pa to £27k pa. Or made redundant.”
“Wages. I work for refuse collection and they are using single
status to try and cut pay by 30 percent.”
“I work in social work resource day care centre for dementia. 12
centres, 6 to close this year. My job is a concern. What is
going to happen to elderly that depend on this service?”
“Doncaster council are making big cuts. They are getting rid of
lots of council workers. In April 2011, they are getting rid
of all the wardens who look after OAPs and the vulnerable.”
“I work in pathology. We are seeing our out of hours cut back
(loss of £10,000p/a) followed by an effective pay cut to salary
this year.”
“Disproportionate cuts of 40 per cent to the local authority Youth
Service in Bath and North East Somerset. This follows 30 per cent
two years ago. I'm being made redundant end of March after nearly
30 years service.”
“Residential homes closing or being sold off to private sector,
where they have very little training for staff so they’re of a much
poorer quality of care. Staff on low pay, good staff losing
jobs, higher unemployment.”
“I work in NHS contraception dept and we are seeing 3 per cent
annual cost improvement requirements for at least next 3 years. We
are no longer covering staff absences and are asking staff if they
want to cut hours.”
“Staff at my work don't get replaced. Their jobs are given to
agency and contractors who have to work nights,7 days a week,52 wks
a year. I know an agency worker who does 60+ a week. Is
this safe?”
“NHS jobs cut on the frontline. Pressure being put on staff until
they leave. Not being replaced putting pressure on remaining staff,
then they leave. Worst I've seen NHS in 14 years
employment.”
“75 per cent cuts to education welfare officers in Somerset. In
April there will be only 6 EWO posts across the
county.”
ENDS
For further information, please call Pauline Doyle on 07976 832
861
Notes to editors: The survey was conducted on behalf of Unite
by Mass 1 Communications. Members were contacted by mobile
phone through December and January and asked to respond to
questions about the need for the cuts. 73 per cent of Unite
members responding felt that the cuts were too fast and too
deep. Participants were also asked to nominate the issues of
most concern to them personally and within their locality.
The results will be available on the Unite microsite www.dontbreakbritain.org
later today, alongside other presentations given by speakers at
Unite's Don’t Break Britain conference (19 January).
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