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AUSTERITY is having a disproportionate effect on north-west England, according to research published yesterday.
Fifteen of Britain’s 50 areas hit hardest by austerity are situated in the region, the report by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) found.
The charity and research organisation found that more than 60,000 public-sector jobs disappeared between 2010 and 2012, with north-west councils in poorer urban areas especially hit hard by local government cuts.
CLES recommends the region should be stimulated through better institutional and physical infrastructure including an investment bank, more house-building and improved transport links.
The report, commissioned by public-service union Unison, calls for expansion of the living wage and fewer people on zero-hours contracts.
Unison North West regional secretary Kevan Nelson said: “Austerity is failing the north west. Our social fabric is threatened by cuts in valuable public services while job losses and the collapse in real wages have left people losing hope of secure employment. We cannot tolerate permanent austerity and there is an urgent need for a change in direction.”
The damning findings come as trade unionists and campaigners prepare to take to the streets of Manchester tomorrow to march against austerity.
Unison and Manchester TUC, which have organised the anti-austerity march, are asking supporters to assemble at Castlefield Arena at 11am.
The march will circle the city centre before returning to the arena for a rally at 12.30pm.
Among the marchers will be Bernie Walsh, 52, a care assistant from Heywood who was formerly a cook for day-care centres in Bury.
Three years ago the service was reorganised and Ms Walsh retrained as a care assistant for people with learning difficulties, working fewer hours with less pay. Now the service faces another reorganisation because of cuts.
“We’ve had years of austerity now and the uncertainty and insecurity is exhausting,” she said.
“I’m the main breadwinner in our household and we have had to keep cutting back year after year. I’ll be marching in Manchester on Saturday because we can’t put up with permanent austerity.”
