Birmingham jobs march attracts 7,000 protesters

May 17 2009 by Christina Savvas, Sunday Mercury

Mr Barber said: Unemployment is rising relentlessly. It will pass the 2.5 million mark next month and could hit three million by the end of the year.

Behind these statistics are millions of people struggling to pay their mortgages and support their families.

Local people know more than most the price of unemployment. The West Midlands, the manufacturing heartland of the UK, has been hit harder than anywhere else with nearly one in 10 people without a job.

Manufacturing, once the lifeblood of our economy, continues to suffer. Successive governments have hung it out to dry in favour of an unregulated financial services sector and look what good thats done to our economy.

Bernard Morgan, member of Amicus, now part of Unite, said: We cant rely on bankers or financial services in this country, manufacturing is the key.

The 62 year-old, a former motor trade worker from Acocks Green, Birmingham, added: Other European countries are getting support from their Government.

It seems to be lack of will to move forward by our Government and support manufacturing. It will be a very sad day if manufacturing disappears.

Stephen Parkinson and wife Susan travelled from Oxfordshire to join the march. The couple, both 51, work in the NHS and are members of Unison.

Mrs Parkinson said: We came to support people who have lost their jobs and their homes.

We are very worried about the state of the economy and want the Government to people first.

Dom Thomas and his colleagues from Argos in Trafford Park, Manchester, were also among protestors.

The 64 year-old, who is due to retire next year, said: I am at the march because we are losing our depot and our drivers are not being treated fairly.

I came to support my fellow colleagues and my children and grandchildren and it is really upsetting what is happening to jobs in this country.

David Whitehouse, 57 and from Kitts Green, Birmingham, added: I want to support the workers especially young struggling to find employment because of the recession and lack of support from this Government.

People are facing a lifetime without work, cast on the scrapheap.

I work in the public sector and we havent really been hit yet but we will be.

Everyone is in danger, there is no area of the economy that will not be affected by this recession.

Young people also turned out in force for the march.

Ridhi Kalaria, a philosophy student at Birmingham University said: I am about to graduate and am really worried about my prospects of getting a job.

I will have to go back to Folkstone to live with my parents because I cant afford to step out on my own.