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| Workers call for action on jobs | Workers call for action on jobs |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of workers from across the UK are set to take part in a protest march in Birmingham to call on the government to "halt the jobs crisis". | Thousands of workers from across the UK are set to take part in a protest march in Birmingham to call on the government to "halt the jobs crisis". |
| The demonstration, organised by the Unite union, is part of a campaign to press ministers to do more to help manufacturers weather the recession. | The demonstration, organised by the Unite union, is part of a campaign to press ministers to do more to help manufacturers weather the recession. |
| Unite chose to hold the rally in Birmingham as almost one-in-10 people in the West Midlands is now unemployed. | Unite chose to hold the rally in Birmingham as almost one-in-10 people in the West Midlands is now unemployed. |
| Former head of employers' group the CBI, Lord Jones, will be taking part. | Former head of employers' group the CBI, Lord Jones, will be taking part. |
| He will be joined by workers from firms hit by the recession, including steel giant Corus and car companies Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover, which has plants in Gaydon in Warwickshire, Castle Bromwich, Coventry and Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood in Merseyside. | He will be joined by workers from firms hit by the recession, including steel giant Corus and car companies Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover, which has plants in Gaydon in Warwickshire, Castle Bromwich, Coventry and Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood in Merseyside. |
| Call for subsidies | Call for subsidies |
| Unite wants the government to agree to measures ranging from short-time working subsidies to keep people in work to more state aid for firms. | Unite wants the government to agree to measures ranging from short-time working subsidies to keep people in work to more state aid for firms. |
| Tony Woodley, joint leader of Unite, will tell the rally the union's mission is "to get ministers to wake up and act to halt the jobs crisis". | Tony Woodley, joint leader of Unite, will tell the rally the union's mission is "to get ministers to wake up and act to halt the jobs crisis". |
| He will say: "Our message is clear: workers are not going to pay the price for the bankers crisis. | He will say: "Our message is clear: workers are not going to pay the price for the bankers crisis. |
| "We cannot risk seeing another forgotten generation of young people who cannot find work and have their lives ruined as a result." | "We cannot risk seeing another forgotten generation of young people who cannot find work and have their lives ruined as a result." |
| We need factories and plants open for when recovery comes because if they go they will be gone forever Tony Woodley, joint leader of Unite | We need factories and plants open for when recovery comes because if they go they will be gone forever Tony Woodley, joint leader of Unite |
| He will tell the rally in Centenary Square: "We need to get money - our money - moving from the banks to industry. | He will tell the rally in Centenary Square: "We need to get money - our money - moving from the banks to industry. |
| "We need a short-time working subsidy to keep plants open and workers in jobs until recovery comes. | "We need a short-time working subsidy to keep plants open and workers in jobs until recovery comes. |
| "We need factories and plants open for when recovery comes because if they go they will be gone forever." | "We need factories and plants open for when recovery comes because if they go they will be gone forever." |
| Lord Jones, a former trade minister, said he was forming an unlikely alliance with Unite to urge the government to act to support businesses and young skilled workers. | Lord Jones, a former trade minister, said he was forming an unlikely alliance with Unite to urge the government to act to support businesses and young skilled workers. |
| "We need to [maintain] the skills of this country in manufacturing... ready for the upturn," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | "We need to [maintain] the skills of this country in manufacturing... ready for the upturn," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| "This government is talking a fine fight but it isn't putting anything into making sure that happens. | "This government is talking a fine fight but it isn't putting anything into making sure that happens. |
| "This country's manufacturing sector is reformed and fit-for-purpose. This isn't bail-out time. We have got some fabulous manufacturing business, selling around the world. | "This country's manufacturing sector is reformed and fit-for-purpose. This isn't bail-out time. We have got some fabulous manufacturing business, selling around the world. |
| "All it needs is to keep the skills here in the short term - about one year - and that's why I'm marching for the first time in my life." | "All it needs is to keep the skills here in the short term - about one year - and that's why I'm marching for the first time in my life." |
| Job cuts | Job cuts |
| Lord Jones stopped short of backing Unite's call for redundancy protection for British workers. | Lord Jones stopped short of backing Unite's call for redundancy protection for British workers. |
| He accepted that the labour market flexibility he championed made UK workers more likely to lose jobs than rivals in Europe. | He accepted that the labour market flexibility he championed made UK workers more likely to lose jobs than rivals in Europe. |
| However, he said it also meant they would be more attractive to prospective employers when the economy picks up. | However, he said it also meant they would be more attractive to prospective employers when the economy picks up. |
| TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will say behind the unemployment statistics are people "struggling to pay their mortgages and support their families". | TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will say behind the unemployment statistics are people "struggling to pay their mortgages and support their families". |
| The March for Jobs follows another grim week for job losses, with BT and Legal & General announcing thousands of job cuts and official figures showing a 244,000 increase in unemployment to 2.2 million. | The March for Jobs follows another grim week for job losses, with BT and Legal & General announcing thousands of job cuts and official figures showing a 244,000 increase in unemployment to 2.2 million. |
| Manufacturing has been one of the worst affected sectors, with redundancies more than doubling in the first three months of 2009 to 67,000, up from 29,000 in January-March 2008. | Manufacturing has been one of the worst affected sectors, with redundancies more than doubling in the first three months of 2009 to 67,000, up from 29,000 in January-March 2008. |
| A spokesman for the Department for Business said the government was working hard to support companies with "real help", adding that its Enterprise Finance Guarantee had received more than £375m of eligible applications while more than 2,000 businesses had been offered loans totalling more than £186m. | A spokesman for the Department for Business said the government was working hard to support companies with "real help", adding that its Enterprise Finance Guarantee had received more than £375m of eligible applications while more than 2,000 businesses had been offered loans totalling more than £186m. |
| The spokesman added that more than 124,000 businesses had gained agreement to defer payment of tax worth over £2.2bn. | The spokesman added that more than 124,000 businesses had gained agreement to defer payment of tax worth over £2.2bn. |
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