• News & events
• 2009 archived press releases
• Unite reaction to RSA decision to close Bristol site with 500 job losses
• Unite's reaction to the government's announcement on clean coal
• MPs honour Jack Jones, the 'greatest trade unionist'
• Unite fury at 'cavalier' sackings by Port of Yarmouth
• Workers across the north west to observe one minute’s silence to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day
• Unite says put manufacturing at the heart of the Budget
• United Biscuits workers lobby MPs to save jobs and secure their futures
• Thousands of workers head to Birmingham for national march for jobs
• Tribute to former general secretary Jack Jones
• European Commission directive on regulating private equity and hedge funds

Unite says put manufacturing at the heart of the Budget

20 April 2009

Unite, Britain's biggest union, is calling on the government to put manufacturing at the heart of the budget. Unions and employers are united in demanding that Wednesday's budget should contain measures to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers through the implementation of short time working compensation schemes.

• Unite is also calling for speedier access to credit from the banks to ensure immediate support for manufacturing businesses;
• extra government financing for manufacturing in keeping with the levels of assistance provided to manufacturers by our overseas competitors and
• action to stimulate demand, including a scrappage scheme.

The union believes the government must not shy away from continuing to invest in the future through effective economic stimulus packages. It would be a catastrophic mistake to reign in investment. The Tory critics have no effective policies for dealing with the recession and they would indeed make the recession longer and deeper.

Unite's joint general secretary, Derek Simpson said: "Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling must deliver a budget which focuses on what is important to the electorate - that's staying in work. The government must not shy away from continuing to invest in the future. The government bailed out the banks but the damage done by the bankers has yet to be repaired.

"Unions and employers are united in calling for Wednesday's budget to contain measures to support manufacturing jobs through this recession. If these jobs go they will not come back, supporting these workers is investing in Britain's future. "

Unite's joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said: "Unite and manufacturing employers often don't see eye to eye but on this issue we are united. British manufacturing needs urgent, strategic and effective support from the government.

"Manufacturing workers need help now, the forthcoming budget is an opportunity to save thousands of jobs. Every day the government delays is another step closer to seeing our manufacturing base wither away."

Unite for Jobs
On 16th May 2009, Unite will hold a march through Birmingham. This will be the centrepiece of the 'Unite for Jobs' campaign. The March for Jobs will spotlight the need for urgent assistance to defend jobs. To see what the Unite for Jobs demands are or for information on the march visit: http://action.unitetheunion.org/content 

ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

• Share on:
• Delicious
• Digg
• reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

Want to share this story? These sites allow you to tag and share links across the internet enabling you to share these links with friends and people with similar interests. You can also access your links from any computer you happen to be using.