Unite and TUC take fight for public services to Liberal Democrat conference

Unite and TUC take fight for public services to Liberal Democrat conference

Unite and TUC take fight for public services to Liberal Democrat conference

Dealing with the deficit: there is a better way, 1pm-2pm on Tuesday, September 21st in the Pan Am Bar, Britannia Pavilion Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AE.

With unions committed to the broadest and strongest coalition to stop government cuts unravelling public services, the country’s biggest union, Unite, and the TUC, the umbrella body for over 6 million trade union members in the UK, are taking the battle to the heart of the LibDem’s conference.

A joint fringe meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, 21st September) will underline the massive, coordinated effort the union movement is set to undertake in the days leading up to the Comprehensive Spending Review on October 20th with the aim of forcing the government to think again about cutting fast and deep into public spending.

Public service workers and users will join the meeting to ask why they must make heavy sacrifices for a recession not of their making. The TUC will also release their latest research, which will show how cuts will hit the North west region.

Speaking at the fringe will be:

. Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary for public services at Unite, the country’s biggest union, representing some 250,000 members right across the public sector, from hospitals to the MoD. At last week’s Congress, Gail Cartmail warned that the defence of jobs, pensions and services from the savagery of cuts is set to be the “fight of our lives”.

. Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, the umbrella body of the UK’s six million plus trade union members.

. Professor Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of York and co-author of The Spirit Level, the critically-acclaimed book which shows how tackling income inequalities is key to addressing health inequalities.

. Councillor Richard Kemp, a Lib Dem councillor in Liverpool and deputy chair of the Local Government Association.

. Imran Hussain, Child Poverty Action Group, the charity campaigning for a better deal for low income families and the eradication of child poverty in the UK.

The event will be chaired by Larry Neild, Liverpool broadcaster and visiting lecturer at John Moores University.

ENDS

Media wishing to attend the fringe are asked to contact Liane Groves on 07793 661 657 or Shaun Noble on 07768 693 940.