Commenting on a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) that found one in three companies expect to make redundancies by the end of September, Unite General Secretary, Len McCluskey, said:
"We warned that the tapering of the Jobs Retention Scheme would see redundancy notices fly around like confetti and sadly this is coming to pass.
"But this crisis is being made infinitely worse by the very different approach the Westminster government is taking to that of our competitor countries where targeted support is helping vital sectors weather this storm, saving jobs in the process.
"There are simple effective measures, such as short-time working, that will keep people in jobs and retain skills. But this government lacks the capacity to understand, or the political will to grasp, that this is the moment it must use its vast power of intervention for the collective good of the country.
"This criminal lack of engagement at the heart of the government means workers and their employers are being abandoned by ministers who appear to have no plan for rebuilding and recovering our economy.
"This will not be forgotten or forgiven by industries and communities that have long-served our country, and are desperate for the chance to continue to do so, only to be ignored by the government in their hour of need."
