One million public sector jobs gone in seven years
Union blames destructive Tory cuts
NEARLY a million public sector jobs have been axed since 2010, official figures show.
Seven years ago 6.4 million people worked in the public sector. Under Tory PMs David Cameron and Theresa May that number has fallen to 5.44 million.
Among the losses are 164,000 posts in education, 44,000 in the police force and 41,000 in the Armed Forces.
The NHS workforce has grown by 4 per cent, but 134,000 posts have gone in other health and social work, and 186,000 in public admin. Office for National Statistics figures show public sector workers now make up just 16.9 per cent of the labour force. That’s the lowest proportion since 1947, the year before the NHS was founded.
The GMB union blames Tory cuts, privatisation and outsourcing for the job losses. Its national secretary for public services Rehana Azam said: “Today’s Conservatives seem intent on dragging us back to the dark days of the past. GMB members are performing miracles, but the vital services they deliver are stripped back and hollowed-out and denied the resources they need.
“Workers are denied the fair pay rises they deserve.”
A GMB report found the cost of agency and temporary workers has increased by AT least four people died when a lorry smashed through a motorway central reservation and ploughed into oncoming traffic.
One car was obliterated and another overturned in yesterday’s crash on the M5. A white truck ended up in a ditch beside the road.
Cardiologist Dr Amer Hamed was “10 to 20 seconds behind” the crash.
He said: “There was a lorry involved and at least two cars.One was absolutely destroyed, another had flipped.”
Dr Hamed and a passing GP helped an injured woman, who was later flown to hospital by air ambulance. Some 13 ambulances were also sent to the scene.
Avon and Somerset Police said: “We were called at just after 2.30pm to the collision between J15 and J14 northbound, north of Bristol, involving several vehicles, including a lorry. Sadly at least four people have died.”
Hundreds of Derby County FC fans got stuck in the six-mile tailbacks after a match at Bristol City FC’s Ashton Gate. Police said the closed M5 section was unlikely to open until 2am today.
On Thursday, a 27-year-old man died in a collision at a nearby junction. £2.5billion since 2012-13 – more than the £2.2billion the Treasury estimated the public sector pay cap would save in 2017-18. The figures come as the Government announced the lifting of the seven-year, one per cent cap for some public staff. Labour MP Peter Dowd, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Thanks to Conservatives’ cuts, our understaffed and underfunded services are being stretched to breaking point.”