Jane Aitchison, Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) group president for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “For my union members, this is not just a question of fairness and them not wanting to accept cuts to pay for a crisis they did not create. Cutting their jobs is economic madness. Their hard work is saving the economy far more than they are paid in wages. What sense is there in adding my members to the growing dole queues when they could help to shorten those dole queues and speed up the economic recovery this country needs?
“This callous action puts paid to the lie that this is about money – if the government goes ahead with this cut it will show all too clearly that this is about attacking the public sector not paying off debt”.
A further cut in the number of jobcentres has also been signalled – it seems that not only will people be forced to go further to look for work, they may also be forced to travel further just to sign on for the dole. Clearly the service jobseekers are set to receive under the new government is about to deteriorate.
Jane Aitchison said: “We have launched a massive staffing campaign to save these members’ jobs and to keep the department fully staffed and working well for the people of this country. My members aren’t waste, they provide a vital public service and a financial return. We are lobbying MPs and getting the public on board too. We will fight against these disgraceful cuts.”
Members of the PCS union will fight to defend jobs and the services they deliver and they must be supported in that aim.
Time magazine paid a tribute to people power by choosing 'The Protester' as its Person of the Year. 2011 was certainly about protest but it was about a lot more as well.
Trying to control an anarchic and blind system, none of the measures taken stem the downward spiral
By Peter Hadden