Save Our Services: How cuts are hitting Black people

The government’s economic strategy, centred on austerity and cuts to public services, has deepened the economic crisis and hit the living standards of many people, especially those in the Black community. Black workers are usually the first to lose their job in a recession. Unsurprisingly, the UK’s latest recession has been no fairer. UNISON research into the impact of cuts on Black council workers showed just how public sector cuts hit Black people hard. Job cuts, pay freezes, and attacks on pensions and on public services have piled on the pressure, contributing to a situation where unemployment among Black people is running at 14.7%. Black people’s average wages are lower than those for the workforce in general, and the Black community suffers from some of the highest levels of poverty and deprivation. Research shows that around two-fifths of Black people live in a low-income household – twice the rate for white people. Surveys also show that Black people often struggle with unequal access to education, health care, social services, housing and other key services.   In one council, Black women accounted for 23% of redundancies but were only 5% of the workforce   Public services are a key employer for Black people in the UK, which means the cuts and job losses have had a disproportionate impact on Black workers. UNISON conducted research to find out the real impact of public service cuts on Black workers in London councils. While the figures might not surp...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Blogs black members local government Save Our Local Services save our services Source Type: news