Unemployment Continues To Surge in Wolverhampton - Fight for Every Job!

When unemployment figures for June were released last week, it emerged that while some areas of the West Midlands saw a slight decrease in the numbers needing to claim Universal Credit, in Wolverhampton the total number relying on benefits went up to 10.4% of working age adults. Likewise Sandwell saw an increase to 9.1% of 16-64 year olds either out of work or needing UC to cover the rent.

With the furlough scheme "tapering off" from August, it's clear that workers in the Black Country and across the UK face the fight of their life to avoid being made to pay for the Corona crisis with their jobs.

Rather than the Tories' derisory £1000 bung for bosses who keep their workers on until the new year, we need a real plan to save jobs. Read more about what this would look like in this article from The Socialist.

Equally, with more workers and self employed persons needing to access benefits and other financial support from government, the campaign by civil service union PCS for proper staffing levels to deal with claims, and to stop the winding down of benefits and tax processing offices in the Black Country need the full support of the labour movement and claimants organisations. Read our report from the strike action taken by DWP workers in Wolverhampton and Walsall last year here.