UNITE: How workers are being hit by the cuts

UNITE: How workers are being hit by the cuts

UNITE: How workers are being hit by the cuts

Working people face a collapse in living standards and a future of insecure work, Unite the union will reveal ahead of the massive demonstration against the cuts set to shut down the capital on March 26th.

Since December last year, Unite, has been following the impact of the government’s cuts programme on working people, resulting in some 140,000 quantitative and qualitative responses to poll questions.

The findings of this significant study of working people and their journey through the cuts will be revealed to the media on Thursday, March 24th.

Disturbing trends are emerging, for instance alongside a predicted rise in joblessness, there is a widespread lowering of wages and diminishing job security. It is also uncovering how some regions are in the frontline of the cuts and indicating that for the first time in the post-war period, the living standards of working people are under intense pressure as they’re forced to swallow a toxic cocktail of services shutting, costs rising and wages falling.

Thousands of people have also sent in qualitative reports on how the cuts programme is impacting on their families’ lives. These comments will also be available for the media to view, offering an insight into why thousands of people will feel compelled to march on the 26th.

Mass1, a leading independent polling company, will present the findings of the poll so far. This is also an opportunity for media colleagues to look behind the headlines to read some of the thousands of stories being sent as part of the survey.

Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary, will offer the union’s view on the importance of the March in the battle for an alternative approach to deficit-management. Unite national officials from the local government and voluntary sectors will also be able to help the media drill down to the real impact of cuts in the two sectors so far hardest hit, local government and the voluntary sector.

ENDS

To attend the media brief, please email pauline.doyle@unitetheunion.org