UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today called the government’s work programme a ‘dismal failure’, and called on the government to do more to boost job creation to stave off the triple dip recession.
Easing the hard and fast cuts – that will see more than 750,000 public sector workers lose their jobs by the end of this Parliament, with a devastating knock-on impact on the private sector – would be a step in the right direction, said the union.
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: ”The government’s work programme is not working – it’s a dismal failure. Far from being ‘early days’ it has been running for more than a year. The government has to do more.
“Unemployment is a personal tragedy, but it will also mean that thousands of families have a miserable Christmas this year.
“The government could, and should, ease its hard and fast cuts, putting the brakes on the heavy public sector job losses which are also damaging the private sector. No wonder economists are predicting the UK could slip into a damaging triple dip recession.”
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