Member Article

Manchester EU conference to discuss austerity impacts

A major EU conference on the economy will take place in Manchester tomorrow, focussing on issues raised in the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) World of Work report.

The conference is called Sorting Out The Crisis: What’s The EU Got To Do With It?, and will follow the report, which maps the impact of austerity measures and the crisis in the UK and EU,

Speakers include the EU Commissioner for employment social affairs and inclusion, Låszlo Andor, as well as individuals from Ireland and Germany as well as a cross sectoral local panel of workers sharing their experiences of the impact of austerity and the growing threat of unemployment in their families.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of event organiser GMB, said: “The last time I looked, not a single leader of any Government in Europe was a paid up member of the Magic Circle, so how they think they are going to reduce the eye-watering and scandalous unemployment figures in the UK and the rest of Europe whilst continuing to hack away with cuts, and at the same time turning off the stand pipe of any economic stimulus beats me.

“Meanwhile people across Britain and the rest of Europe are asking - what is to become of their sons and daughters, granddaughters and grandsons? A talented generation under threat of being a lost generation and it is a disgrace that no one has an answer for them.

“The ILO report only confirms the signals GMB has been picking up and warning about for a long time. It paints a particularly bleak picture of prospects for the EU for the foreseeable future with the employment situation deteriorating.

“The ILO is yet another influential voice telling Governments that austerity measures are hurting economic growth and with it any serious prospect of job creation.

“What is it going to take to make them listen? Youth unemployment in Spain and Greece topping 50% -one in every two young people.

“The UK’s own figure at the highest in a generation at 22.2, with youth unemployment in certain struggling regions much higher. You couldn’t make this kind of horror story up.”

The conference takes place at the People’s History Museum, at Left Bank on Thursday May 3.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .