by Keith Richmond
AS UNEMPLOYMENT hit 2.2 million, more than 7,000 trade unionists from across the country answered a call by Unite to march in Birmingham in defence of jobs in Britain.
Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley said it was no good this government looking after “the bankers, speculators and spivs” who caused the global economic meltdown if it was not protecting ordinary workers from losing their livelihoods. “It’s not banks we should be looking after”, he said. “It’s workers.”
And joint general secretary Derek Simpson said: “Some action has been taken to stimulate demand in the economy and protect working people from the ravages of the recession, but it’s all been too timid. Billions have been spent to save the banks, but those banks are still throwing people out of their houses when they can’t meet their mortgage payments because of a recession those very banks caused. These banks, the banks our members own, won’t lend to manufacturing companies. They even sack our members working for the banks because the bosses think that’s the answer to the problems they caused.”
