Birmingham jobs march attracts 7,000 protesters

May 17 2009 by Christina Savvas, Sunday Mercury

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Macromedia's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

AN astonishing 7,000 people marched through Birmingham city centre in an emotional protest against job cuts yesterday and told the Government: Help us NOW.

Worried workers and the unemployed from across the country took part in the mass demonstration and demanded immediate action to boost struggling industries.

Former trade minister Lord Digby Jones was among the huge crowd at the rally, organised by trade union Unite to put pressure on Gordon Brown to save recession-hit manufacturers.

The Birmingham-born former CBI boss put his political differences with Unite joint leader Tony Woodley aside to march for the first time.

He said: Im losing my marching virginity. Tony Woodley and I dont agree on many things but on this issue he is absolutely right.

The skilled jobs in my home town of Birmingham and manufacturing is more important than Government, moats or flatscreen TVs.

We need to stop talking about MPs expenses and focus on this real issue and we want the Government to sit up and take notice.