Plaid Cymru AMs Leanne Wood and Chris Franks have given their backing to a campaign to protect the public sector ahead of the October Spending Review.
“Thousands of frontline jobs are at risk under the Con/Dem coalition government’s plans to reduce the budget deficit. Due to the high proportion of public sector jobs within Wales, there are fears the austerity measures will see unemployment soar to 11% this side of the Severn Bridge.”
Ahead of UNISON’s Million Voices Day this Saturday, which will see the union taking up a presence at St John’s Square in Cardiff to defend public sector jobs, Ms Wood and Mr Franks have lent their support to the campaign.
Ms Wood said: “It is wholly wrong that the Tories and their new pals, the Liberal Democrats, are going to effectively take a wrecking ball to the frontline services that serve our communities.
“Minimum wage workers did not cause the financial mess the UK Government now finds itself in, so I am at a loss as to why it is the lowest paid and those dependent on public services who are most likely to pay the heaviest price in the October Spending Review.
“Every single tax-payer has already done their bit to bail out the greedy bankers and now it seems they will be paying again in terms of reduced services and redundancies.
“I fully support any union that decides to take a stand to defend our public services and fight the wholesale cuts that are coming our way.”
Mr Franks said: “The Con/Dem Coalition Government has already singled their intent to focus their attention at the most vulnerable with huge cuts to the welfare budget.
“I don’t see them suddenly developing a conscience ahead of the October Spending Review and deciding to spare the essential services that millions of families rely upon day-to-day.
“Not only will they jeopardise our communities with frontline service cuts but they also run the risk of a double-dip recession which will more than off-set any austerity measures they seek to implement.
“Plaid believes in the protection of public sector jobs and a considered balancing of the budget – not the huge, destructive cuts that are inevitable under the Westminster Government we have right now.
“As a party we will do all we can to oppose any cuts to essential services brought in by David Cameron and his band of millionaires in the cabinet.”
