The People’s Voice newspaper produced by the Northern Ireland Committee Irish Congress of Trade Unions is now available: 20,000 copies have been printed for distribution and the document is available to download below.
The purpose of this special newspaper is to inform the reader of the damage the cuts have inflicted and will continue to inflict on our people, our economy and Northern Ireland.
Over the past four years, £1.5bn has been taken out of Northern Ireland through cuts in education, health, housing and transport provision to the people.
This means lost jobs in both private and public sectors and the loss of career opportunities for school leavers.
The current cuts arising out of the budget set out under the Stormont House Agreement will pile more misery on the working poor as well as the unemployed and those who cannot work.
These cuts are already damaging our schools and colleges, with jobs lost and fewer places for young people to gain the skills they need to get decent work.
Older people are being afflicted by cuts to health and social care services and the public transport to access these entitlements.
UNISON Northern Ireland urge you to read the articles in People’s Voice, discuss with your friends and workmates and family and then use this to challenge those politicians who will be knocking on your doors seeking votes both at this general election and the NI Assembly election in 2016.
Austerity has not worked. Society should be served by an economy not impoverished by an economy.
There is a better and fairer way to govern.
Challenge our public representatives to resist the cuts, the stupidity of borrowing £700m to lay off up to 20,000 workers and the gamble of giving business £400m of our money by slashing corporation tax on their profits.
If you are concerned about the future for your family and friends, then please read People’s Voice and support the campaign.
