Liverpool Job Losses - Lib Dems say Government must act. (Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats)

Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats <info@garstonld.org.uk>

Liverpool Job Losses - Lib Dems say Government must act.

March 22, 2008 12:00 AM

The Lib Dems on Liverpool City Council will later this month (26 March) raise the issue of the Government's failure to act on a series of job losses hitting the City and Region. Councillors will debate the issue at the next meeting of the City Council, following a motion by Councillor Warren Bradley.

The text of the motion reads:

"This Council expresses its deep concerns regarding the many job losses recently announced across Liverpool and the City-Region; and the distinct lack of direct Government intervention in helping to sustain these jobs in the City.

From the 800 postal workers jobs in Liverpool and the future of the Copperas Hill sorting office.

To the Remploy group's 'modernisation?' programme - which will see half its 5,000-strong workforce lose their jobs. 28 of the 85 factories nationally, which employ disabled people, will close, with 80 jobs being lost at the Liverpool plant; this despite the Labour Governments (former Minister - Peter Hain) assurances in October, prior to the General Election that never was, that all the plants and jobs at all Remploy sites were safe.

To the uncertain future of 200 jobs at Rolls Royce in Bootle; and the announcement at the beginning of this month that the HMRC reshuffle will see 400 Government jobs lost to the Liverpool economy over the next few years.

This is a hammer blow to the confidence that has been established over the last few years in the City; along with the well being of all the communities that were beginning to feel the benefit of a stable economy in Liverpool and the City-region.

Given the Labour Governments commitment to state intervention to protect Northern Rock at a cost of the tax payer of £3,000 per person (£24Bn); this Council calls upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer to intervene to support Royal Mail, Rolls Royce, Remploy and the HMRC in order to protect those jobs which are at risk.

Further this Council believes that those Liverpool residents who now face the prospect of unemployment through these decisions are at a further disadvantage if they live in social housing. The recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Housing, Caroline Flint, that those people who live in social housing will lose their tenancy if they are unable to find work is a double blow for those workers facing the loss of their jobs.

Council therefore calls upon the Labour Government to scrap any plans to evict those people who are long term unemployed and who live in social housing.

Council further requests the Chief Executive to write to all the Chief Executives of the affected organisations, requesting an up-to-date briefing on each of the announcements."