Responding to Keir Starmer’s speech to TUC congress this morning, Unite leader Len McCluskey said:
“This was a good speech which showed Keir to be absolutely on the side of working people.
“An unemployment tsunami is looming and I very much welcome the Labour Party’s campaign to save working people from the scourge of mass unemployment by fighting for a new job protection scheme with targeted, sector support for those industries that need it most.
“Failure to do so is to let the historic investment to save jobs made by UK taxpayers go to waste, and worse, will let working communities slide into decline. With political will, that can be averted.
“I also welcome Keir’s condemnation of the increasing use of fire and rehire tactics to hammer wages and conditions, and his call today for this to be outlawed by the government. It is a despicable and immoral practice that is spreading through the public and private sector and must be made illegal.
“I call on employer organisations and MPs from all parties to work together to put pressure on the government to defend our workforce in a way that Germany, France, Spain and other European countries are doing. UK workers must not, once again be treated as second class citizens and they must not be forced to pay for this crisis.”
