Mary backs workers' campaign against job cuts

On 1 March, Shadow Environment Secretary and Wakefield MP Mary Creagh met professionals and specialist staff as part of a trade union campaign against the Tory led government’s plans to cut 330,000 jobs.

The ‘I’m Not a Number’ campaign by the Prospect trade union highlights the need for government to protect skilled jobs to keep up with the changing demands of the UK economy, intelligent government and society at large.

Reports from Prospect’s sectors indicate that at least 25,000-30,000 of the UK’s most skilled jobs will be cut from the economy by 2014-15 because of public spending cuts. In central government, where a total of 80,000 jobs will be lost, professional jobs will go principally in defence, science, justice, environment, economic development and regulation. In the private sector the biggest casualties will be among companies in defence, nuclear decommissioning, scientific research, manufacturing and telecoms.

At a meeting in the House of Commons, scientists, engineers, an environmental expert, a defence researcher and an air traffic controller outlined their diverse job functions to MPs and the damage that spending cuts will do to the services they provide.

See photos of the event here: www.flickr.com/photos/59849966@N05/sets/72157626134163762/detail/