Women feel force of cuts

Women are bearing the brunt of Oldham council job cuts.
Nearly twice as many women as men lost jobs over the last year, according to new Local Government Association figures.

Oldham Council has axed 725 women workers compared with 394 men since the start of 2010.

Paul McCarthy, GMB Union regional secretary, said: “This is a direct result of the Government cuts in public spending. This was entirely predictable because the public sector employs more women than men.”

Women acounted for 65.6 per cent of the 24,000 workers who lost their jobs in the North-West, 0.8 per cent below the national average of 66.4 per cent.

Mr McCarthy added: “Many households depend on having income from two wage earners to pay the mortgage and the household bills. The impact will be even worse in the quarter of households with children headed by single mothers.”

The union is calling for increased investment in housing, school repair, energy and transport to create jobs and growth in the economy.

“Barriers to recruitment of women such as ensuring affordable childcare and access to flexible working need to be tackled,” Mr McCarthy added.