Spectre of child poverty should focus minds on Save our Steel campaign
Ahead
of the Save Our Steel march on Saturday (18 July), steel union
Community claims the potential closure of Teesside Cast Products
threatens to dramatically increase the number of children in poverty on
Teesside.
According to the Campaign to End
Child Poverty, Teesside faces child poverty rates above the national
average. Throughout the Tees Valley 3 in 4 children are classed as
experiencing severe financial hardship either in a low income family or
a non-working family. These shocking figures are set to deteriorate
further if mass redundancies at TCP put thousands more parents out of
work.
Community Union National Executive Council Member Richard Green said:‘This weekend’s march to Save our Steel should really focus minds on what’s at stake here. With
the plight of children becoming a serious problem in our community,
it’s time to recognise that the best answer to the threat of children
living in poverty is to ensure that their parents have access to
sustainable long term employment.
“Teesside
Cast Products is one of the main employers in the area and part of the
backbone of British manufacturing. Support for TCP now will cost the
Government far less over the long term than trying to rebuild the local
economy if TCP is forced to close.