As other countries complain about the jobless recovery that they are experiencing, Northern Ireland continues to experience economic stagnation. Fermanagh meanwhile continues to count to job losses as our economy continues to contract.
The latest available statistics (July 2010) indicate that the seasonally-adjusted unemployment claimant count for NI was 6.4% compared to a UK average of 4.5%. This was the second highest of any region in the UK and had suffered an increase of over 11% over the last year at a time when UK unemployment was shrinking. Fermanagh’s unemployment had increased by 3% in July and had increased overall by almost 12% in the twelve month period prior to that.
Of course, these figures only tell part of the tale. Many others are excluded from this unemployment rate as they are simply not counted as they are ineligible to claim job-seekers allowance. In the last census, about 30% of men and 60% of women (of working age) were found to be outside the labour force. The true unemployment rate in Fermanagh is many multiples that evidenced by the JSA claimant count.
Yet, what are our politicians doing about it? They presided over an economic model which was obviously unsustainable and highly dependent on a debt-fuelled bubble in the construction sector – they took the plaudits when it was growing. Now it has collapsed they sit idly by while workers find themselves thrown on the waste-heap of long-term unemployment and our politicians tell us how powerless they are.
Fermanagh needs a jobs strategy. The state needs to intervene to safeguard jobs in industries which can offer productive employment. We need to invest in productive industries based on our clean environment and our people’s skills. We need an investment strategy for jobs – one that is orientated towards meeting peoples needs not those of profiteers.
Yet at this very instant those in power are cutting the last remaining support from under our economy – the public sector – and guaranteeing that our recession will continue and deepen and that our young people will have no future in this County.
While the socialist party will stand with all those fighting the cuts, there is a need for the Trade Union leadership within the county to take the lead in building a wider alliance against the cuts one that will take on the political parties who disagree on everything but the need to cut public services and stand idly by as jobs continue to haemorrhage from our economy.
Domhnall,
ReplyDeleteWould you not agree that trade unions are all but just a name since the time of the bold James Connolly. Trade Union leaders pay lip service to corporate Ireland because their hands are tied through legislation that they temselves have agreed to be passed into law.
Surely its time to re-open the debate in support of a 32 coumty socialist and democratic Republic, since this recession has highlighted how the North is only artificially sutainable by money and jobs direct from Whitehall.
What sort of a state has 2/3 employed in the civil service? Also, there is a massive gulf between wages between for doing the same job in the public sector compared with the private sector.
Therefore, where is the motivation for economic growth and social mobility in such a stagnant and subsidised economy???
Thanks for your comment and welcome to the site. I think a number of things need to be said in regard to these matters.
ReplyDeleteThe crisis in Northern Ireland is not simply due to the small size of its private sector but reflects the wider global crisis of capitalism as a system. As such, I think this crisis poses much more significant questions than those which collapse down to nationalist demands at this time.
While I agree with you that the trade union leaderships are much more interested in securing minor reforms than building campaigns to change the current status quo, there are signs that this situation is being challenged from workers at shopfloor level and by those trade unionists who are committed to resisting the cuts.
Your figures in relation to public sector employment are erroneous but there is clearly a huge dependence on the public sector within Northern Ireland and this means that the cuts that are being proposed to public expenditure will have a significant impact on the wider economy. These cuts are being instigated at the behest of financial capital and will only contract our economy - the idea being to lower overall costs to business from wages and taxation (to pay for public services) so that businesses located in Northern Ireland can compete with third world competitors.
The reality is that this will only lead to a protracted period of cuts in the living standards of working people and the disadvantaged.