Stronger employment rights and a proper industrial plan - not vague promises – are how you ‘level up’, says GMB Union
GMB Union has responded to the Prime Ministers speech in Coventry today.
Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary said:
“Promises of ‘jam tomorrow’ don’t hold much hope when it’s Boris Johnson who is making them – workers and their communities need to be able to see and feel a credible levelling-up agenda by way of jobs and prosperity.
“Even if the UK Government builds these hospitals, how will they find the staff to fill them? Ministers are doing nothing to tackle the understaffing crisis in our NHS and their shameful pay cut policy for NHS staff could well turn that crisis into a catastrophe before a new brick is even laid.
“Meanwhile, vague pledges of new green jobs should come with a health warning - many communities across the country over the last decade have seen the promise of a green industrial revolution amount to little more than a puddle of political snake oil.
Boris Johnson concedes he offered the “skeleton” of plans to level up the nation when he proposed greater regional devolution in a speech billed as a major bid to define his vision for the UKhttps://t.co/9xG0Q9JxXY
— Sam Blewett (@BlewettSam) July 15, 2021
“The Prime Minister said he’s interested in hearing from local leaders. Well whilst he’s in the West Midlands he should find time to sit down with GMB and we’ll tell him how we’ve just secured 300 jobs at JCB after facing cuts at the start of the pandemic.
“If the Prime Minister really wants to ‘level up’ our regions and nations then he can take a series of simple steps now: Our key workers need to be valued, we need stronger employment rights, and the economy needs a proper industrial plan to help meet our net zero ambitions.”
