BUDGET 2013: Unions condemn attack on workers
Thursday 21 March 2013
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EmailThe Chancellor George Osborne's Budget is one "for the few, by the few and that attacks the many," trade unions said yesterday.
They dismissed Mr Osborne's claim that the economy was being fixed "together with the British people," pointing out that his Budget attacked hard-working public-sector staff.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "The worst chancellor in British history has gone further by giving big business another tax cut while staff caring for the sick get pay cuts.
"Nurses, police and public servants take a pay hit, while corporations and millionaires are allowed to duck their tax duties to the nation."
Christine Blower of teaching union NUT said: "The government's war on public-sector workers is causing serious economic problems.
"Attacks on public sector pay levels and pay progression drain demand from the economy, forcing living standards down even further as the economy stagnates."
Unison leader Dave Prentis accused Mr Osborne of using a few Budget sweeteners to disguise the elephant in the room.
He warned against the Chancellor's "fiscal inertia leading to stagnation, robbing the country of the government's prized AAA rating and tipping it towards a triple-dip recession."
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