Unions fear further unemployment

Link to the article: Channel News

Cutting public spending would prolong the recession and lead to unemployment soaring to four million, the country's most senior union leaders have warned.

Speaking ahead of the TUC conference in Liverpool, its general secretary Brendan Barber said there could be industrial and social unrest if future governments attempted to slash public sector jobs.

Gordon Brown will address the conference on Tuesday but unions are already warning they will not support cuts.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said he feared there will be "huge" spending cuts, whichever party wins the election.

"Cuts will be quicker and deeper under the Tories, but there will be no golden era under Labour," he told a news conference in Liverpool, ahead of the TUC Congress, which opens tomorrow.

Mr Serwotka said the current debate about the state of public finances was merely preparing the ground for a "massive onslaught" on spending.