Union promise of widespread unrest in the face of cuts
Portsmouth trade unionists have pledged a campaign of industrial action against planned budget cuts.
Trade union representatives have said that they are likely to join forces in the coming months to resist budget assaults on the civil service, which were due to be outlined in today's budget.
A small lunchtime gathering was planned at the Workers' Memorial in Victoria Park today at 12.30pm, to co-incide with the budget.
It is estimated the number attendees to be in excess of 40.
But much more is to come, said the chair of one of the city's biggest unions, Unison, which represents thousands of workers.
Jon Woods said: 'The pressure on us is across the civil service.
'It's making us pay for a crisis we didn't create.
'It'll be an opening salvo, just to demonstrate that there is opposition to what the government have planned.
'We want to make a point. (Chancellor) Osborne isn't going to get it all his own way.
'It's not going to go away with just a few protests.
'Most of us are pretty clear that if we're going to resist cuts in the future we have to organise a campaign of industrial action.
'We'll link up with other unions to carry out action.'
Louis MacDonald, secretary of Portsmouth Trades Council, which is an umbrella organisation bringing together different unions in the region, said: 'I think they're going to try and kill the public sector if they possibly can.
'There's nothing sacred, nothing they won't touch.
'I think we will be seeing protests, whether in groups or individually. A lot depends on what would be cut.
'But I think all unions involved will be looking to protest these cuts.'
Mick Tosh, the city's PTC chairman, said: 'It will depend how savagely the government goes after jobs. I doubt very much there'll be no reaction. I'm absolutely certain the trade union will react to these cuts.'
But Matt Goodman, the Hampshire-based policy chief for the Forum for Private Business, said the budget cuts were a necessary evil that had to be endured.
He said: 'I suppose the best thing for public sector workers to do is to understand that there's a wider economic agenda here.
'It's about long term economic stability of the country. If there are cuts to be made I think people have to realise that it's maybe for the best in the long term.
'But it's not great. I know a lot of my friends in the area are struggling.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 15 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: West
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