We 'did not let it slip' - why should we pay for it?

national | anti-capitalism | press release Thursday September 23, 2010 18:55 by SIPTU PRO - SIPTU Northern Branch siptunorthernbranch at yahoo dot com

Niall McNally
SIPTU Organiser

The recent announcement by Stormont Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, that the Assembly would need to make cuts of more than £2 billion is deeply worrying and must not be allowed to proceed.

There must be united resistance against what can only be described as economic absurdity.

We simply cannot allow a Tory government to impose cuts that may see the loss of up to 40,000 jobs. Laying waste to the public sector, and exerting huge pressure on the private sector, which will be expected too but cannot fill this unimaginable gap.

Niall McNally - SIPTU Organiser

If allowed to proceed, the cuts will have a disastrous impact on the local economy and by extension our communities.

Everyone has their part to play in ensuring these cuts are halted in their path. There must be unity across trade unions, civic society and our political parties to demonstrate the strongest will of the people in a solid rejection of these extreme cuts.

Speaking on the current recession at the TUC conference, Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England said, "We let it slip, we, that is, the financial sector and policy makers."

As the admission of Mr King tells it, working people did not create the crisis, so why should we pay for it?

SIPTU believe that only through government investment, protecting the jobs we have, while stimulating the economy through imaginative job creation, like investment in the green economy, infrastructure and social care, can we build and work our way back out of any recession.

Cuts are not the answer, short term savings will only lead to long term unemployment, economic wilderness and recession.

If you are disgusted at the thought of 40,000 job losses, the most savage of cuts to our public sector and services, and the heart being ripped out of our communities through prolonged recession, then stand up and be counted.

Join with the Trade Unions at Belfast City Hall at 12.30pm on Wednesday 29th September demanding an end to cuts to our public services!