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Brown to unveil job boost plans Brown rejects union pay demands
(1 day later)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to set out measures aimed at achieving the dream of "a British job for every British worker". Gordon Brown has defended his decision to hold down this year's public sector pay rise, saying he does not want a return to "boom and bust" economics.
Mr Brown is expected to unveil plans designed to create 500,000 new jobs for British workers during his first speech to the TUC Congress as prime minister. The prime minister told the TUC in Brighton that financial discipline was essential to prevent inflation, to maintain growth and to create jobs.
The proposals, targeted at lone parents and the long-term unemployed, include cash incentives. He received a lukewarm reaction, with some union members holding up placards opposing the below-inflation pay rises.
But public pay is likely to be the big issue at the Brighton conference. The PM also unveiled plans to create 500,000 jobs for British workers.
'Fast track' Mr Brown's claims are all about grabbing the headlines and bear no relation to what's really going on in Britain today Chris GraylingShadow work and pensions secretary class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6986954.stm">Analysis: James Hardy's view class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6987168.stm">Delegates' verdicts class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6987515.stm">Brown speech in full
Mr Brown will also set out details of a scheme, unveiled by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on Sunday, to make more non-EU migrants pass GCSE-standard English language tests before coming to work in the UK. In his first speech to the TUC annual conference as prime minister, Mr Brown told union members: "So let me be straightforward with you - pay discipline is essential to prevent inflation, to maintain growth and create more jobs - and so that we never return to the old boom and bust of the past."
He will tell the TUC that the government is in talks with almost 200 major companies as it attempts to expand partnerships between employers and job centres. The prime minister warned that if inflation was allowed to get out of control, the country could go back to the "same old familiar pattern" of spiralling prices, high unemployment and public spending cuts that there had been under the Tories.
There are more than 600,000 job vacancies in the economy and Mr Brown wants to "fast-track" lone parents and the long-term unemployed back into work. But as he spoke out, unions threatened a "winter of discontent" over the below-inflation public sector pay offer.
Industrial action?
A quarter of a million workers belonging to the Public and Commercial Services Union agreed to be balloted on possible strike action in a dispute over pay and job cuts.
Members at the Department for Work and Pensions rejected a three-year deal by an overwhelming three to one.
The government cannot achieve its own poverty reduction targets through low pay Billy HayesCommunication Workers Union Send us your comments
Union leader Mark Serwotka said this could lead to industrial action unless the pay offer was improved by the end of the month.
Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: "The government cannot achieve its own poverty reduction targets through low pay."
Brendan Barber, the TUC general secretary, said while his members had problems "with aspects of government policy", he believed Mr Brown did want to work with the trade union movement "in a positive way".
Cash incentives
In his speech, Mr Brown unveiled measures aimed at achieving the dream of "a British job for every British worker".
He said he wanted to "fast-track" lone parents and the long-term unemployed back into work and was in talks with almost 200 major companies in order to achieve this.
How would the same phrases have been written up if said by Cameron? BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full He also outlined details of a scheme to make more non-EU migrants pass GCSE-standard English language tests before coming to work in the UK.
Other measures include:Other measures include:
  • Guarantee of an interview for an available job for every lone parent
  • £400 training allowance to help employers train up "fast-track" recruits
  • Extending the days that lone parents can continue to receive benefits after starting work from 15 to 42
  • Back-to-work tax credits worth £40 a week, or £60 in London
  • Guarantee of an interview for an available job for every lone parent
  • £400 training allowance to help employers train up "fast-track" recruits
  • Extending the days that lone parents can continue to receive benefits after starting work from 15 to 42
  • Back-to-work tax credits worth £40 a week, or £60 in London
Young people who left school this summer are also set to be offered a place on a pre-apprenticeship course or in college by the end of this month.Young people who left school this summer are also set to be offered a place on a pre-apprenticeship course or in college by the end of this month.
'Winter of discontent' Mr Brown says that, despite 340,000 more young people being in work than in 1997, he believes there are still too many over-16s who are not in education, training or work.
Mr Brown is expected to say that, despite 340,00 more young people being in work than in 1997, he believes there are still too many over-16s who are not in education, training or work. He said he wanted to see the numbers of apprenticeships available growing from 250,000 now to 500,000 over the next 10 years.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "In total, the government believes that if we are able to implement all of these measures, an extra 500,000 British jobs could be created for British workers. But Chris Grayling, the Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary, accused Mr Brown of "conveniently forgetting" that the vast majority of new jobs created in Britain since 1997 "have gone to people moving into the UK from other countries".
"The prime minister believes we can - if we make the right decisions - advance closer to full employment than ever before in our history, so that there is a British job for every British worker." "The reality is that one in five households in Britain is workless and youth unemployment is higher than it was 10 years ago," he said.
Meanwhile, unions have been warning of a "winter of discontent" over the below-inflation public sector pay offer. "Mr Brown's claims about a British job for every British worker are all about grabbing the headlines and bear no relation to what's really going on in Britain today."
Leaders of some of the country's biggest unions have made it clear that co-ordinated industrial action could be held unless bitter disputes over pay are resolved.