0:00:34 > 0:00:37And in the North West: as the unions prepare to march in
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Manchester, we look at the wave of industrial unrest sweeping the
0:00:39 > 0:00:42region. And, life on the straight and
0:00:42 > 0:00:52narrow. How to persuade former offenders to give up a life of
0:00:52 > 0:00:52
0:00:52 > 0:36:39Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2147 seconds
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Welcome to the Politics Show in the North West.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44In this show, we examine the industrial unrest sweeping the
0:36:44 > 0:36:48region. Are workers' rights under attack?
0:36:48 > 0:36:57And life on the straight and narrow. How to persuade former offenders to
0:36:57 > 0:37:01give up a life of crime. The last of the big three party
0:37:01 > 0:37:04conferences starts today, the Conservatives here in Manchester.
0:37:04 > 0:37:14If you look out there, you can see them getting ready for the opening
0:37:14 > 0:37:16
0:37:16 > 0:37:24in just over an hour's time. You also see some protesters gathering
0:37:24 > 0:37:26down there. Tens of thousands of people are assembling for the TUC's
0:37:26 > 0:37:30march for the alternative. They are protesting against Government cuts
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and job losses and in support of public sector workers. With me to
0:37:33 > 0:37:40discuss that is commentator and our former Political Editor, Jim
0:37:40 > 0:37:46Hancock. Is there a threat that this protest is going to overshadow
0:37:46 > 0:37:51the starter of the conference? will be the dominating factor today.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56David Cameron will have to try to reassure people across the country
0:37:56 > 0:38:00that there is some way forward. North-west Conservatives I have
0:38:00 > 0:38:06spoken to have said the around clear what the economic growth
0:38:06 > 0:38:15strategy is. It reminds me of 1980s. Margaret Thatcher had started to
0:38:15 > 0:38:23make cuts and said that he was not for turning. He must distance
0:38:23 > 0:38:27himself from the Lib Dems. A lot of the Tories here will think that
0:38:27 > 0:38:35there has been too much of a lover in. Some populist policies had been
0:38:35 > 0:38:43announced in the last week? Eric Pickles found some money from
0:38:43 > 0:38:51behind his rather large sofa to keep weekly bin collections. Also,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55at 80 mph speed limits. On the motorway this morning, it looked to
0:38:55 > 0:38:58me that some motorists were not waiting for the consultation.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Let's join Arif now who's down there in the conference area.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03As we saw there, 30,000 people preparing to march around this
0:39:03 > 0:39:10conference area, protesting against what Unite have called the
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Government's economic kamikaze mission. Across the North West,
0:39:13 > 0:39:20there is a sense that the temperature is rising as we face
0:39:20 > 0:39:23the prospect of that dreaded, double dip recession. But are we
0:39:23 > 0:39:25really all in it together? Unions now say employers are taking
0:39:26 > 0:39:35advantage of the economic climate to push through changes in working
0:39:36 > 0:39:39
0:39:39 > 0:39:43practices which push back hard won rights. Here's Jayne Barrett.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48One out, all out. History shows with economic crisis
0:39:48 > 0:39:51comes conflict. Barely out of recession, this week there are
0:39:51 > 0:40:00predictions we're about to slip back in. Across the North West,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03workers are gearing up for another fight. The employers have turned
0:40:03 > 0:40:13round and said, sign or be sacked. There's no alternative. Well, there
0:40:13 > 0:40:15
0:40:15 > 0:40:18is an alternative. Don't sign and fight back. At a building site in
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Liverpool, they say they're fighting the biggest threat to the
0:40:20 > 0:40:23construction industry in a lifetime. Big businesses are rewriting long
0:40:23 > 0:40:26standing agreements. They say it's because multiskilling is now an
0:40:26 > 0:40:28essential part of the job. A job that's changed dramatically since
0:40:28 > 0:40:31agreements were signed. Unions say it's about pay cuts and deskilling.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Workers are reluctant to go on camera. Totally deskill the
0:40:34 > 0:40:38industry and make it more difficult to obtain work for wages which will
0:40:38 > 0:40:41be practically unaffordable to live on if you were to bring up a family
0:40:41 > 0:40:44and have a mortgage. I've just spoken to a group of lads who
0:40:44 > 0:40:48didn't want to go on camera. They believe their wages will reduce by
0:40:48 > 0:40:55�2 to �3 an hour if these changes go ahead. They've just joined the
0:40:56 > 0:41:01union. But the context to this is that union membership has been in
0:41:01 > 0:41:04steady decline. Since 1978 it has halved. I would argue that what
0:41:04 > 0:41:06we're seeing now is a consequence of falling union membership. It's
0:41:07 > 0:41:10emboldened the employer to think that there's no protection for
0:41:10 > 0:41:13workers. The motto at the start of the downturn, we're all in this
0:41:13 > 0:41:19together. A CBI survey found 60% of employers were changing terms and
0:41:19 > 0:41:22conditions to help cope. For 55% this meant pay freezes. That's
0:41:22 > 0:41:29exactly what happened here at this factory in Oldham where they make
0:41:29 > 0:41:32posh cakes for Marks and Spencer. At the time the CBI heralded this
0:41:32 > 0:41:37as a new era of understanding where bosses and staff together shared
0:41:37 > 0:41:47the inevitable pain of the economic down turn. But two years on, staff
0:41:47 > 0:41:49
0:41:49 > 0:41:52here don't feel they've shared the pain at all. The eight directors
0:41:52 > 0:41:56have each taken a 10.6% pay increase when staff took a freeze.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59If the pain has to be felt, it has to be shared across the work force
0:41:59 > 0:42:05and the bosses. Staff might feel let down, but powerless. No-one
0:42:05 > 0:42:07wants to say owt. There's two different agencies in there say
0:42:07 > 0:42:10something and they'll just get another agency lad in. And what
0:42:10 > 0:42:13about agency staff? Yesterday new regulations were brought in to
0:42:13 > 0:42:15protect them to bring their wages in line with regular contracts.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Except here at Park Cakes they won't match the regular contract,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22but a brand new one, just introduced, known as a zero hour
0:42:22 > 0:42:26contract. Which means that these people, with 24 hour notice, can
0:42:26 > 0:42:30have their working week reduced. The majority will be on minimum
0:42:30 > 0:42:33wage with no sick pay. The company said it consulted with the unions
0:42:34 > 0:42:38over the new contract but couldn't reach an agreement. As for the pay
0:42:38 > 0:42:48freeze, they didn't want to comment. This academic sees a union movement
0:42:48 > 0:42:49
0:42:49 > 0:42:52which is slowly revitalising. But it's shackled by the system.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54problem trade unions face is how do you construct a common dialogue on
0:42:54 > 0:42:58a very difficult recession and a very difficult restructuring when
0:42:58 > 0:43:04we don't have the same kind of rights that German unions have or
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Swedish unions have? And part of the problem is this government and
0:43:07 > 0:43:10part of the problem is what the previous Labour government did not
0:43:10 > 0:43:18deepen those collective trade union rights. David Cameron wants to
0:43:18 > 0:43:22raise the threshold to strike. believe it was a mistake for
0:43:22 > 0:43:25strikes to happen last summer. seems unions don't even have a
0:43:25 > 0:43:29friend in Ed Miliband. For staff, their only real friend is a job.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32They'll ballot for strike action here next week. Most I spoke too
0:43:32 > 0:43:36don't want to walk, they just want to work. Someone said to me they've
0:43:36 > 0:43:41got you by your short and curlies? Yeah, Catch 22. Take the wages and
0:43:41 > 0:43:44stay, or if you don't like it find another job.
0:43:44 > 0:43:53Well, with me now is the Chancellor for the Exchequer and Tatton MP
0:43:53 > 0:43:58George Osborne. Thank you for talking to us today. As we know,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02thousands of people are preparing to march today against the
0:44:02 > 0:44:07Government's economic strategy. What is your message to them?
0:44:07 > 0:44:12of all, Manchester has been incredibly well combined for the
0:44:12 > 0:44:17Conservative conference. What I would say to people marching today,
0:44:17 > 0:44:23of course it is your democratic right to march, but in the end
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Martin will not help this economy move forward. To union bosses, I
0:44:27 > 0:44:32would say this. Planning to go on strike at a time like this when
0:44:32 > 0:44:37Britain faces the globe -- global economic debt storm that others are
0:44:37 > 0:44:45facing, striking at a time like this will cost jobs, hit growth and
0:44:45 > 0:44:49I think is irresponsible. What is the alternative? There is a global
0:44:49 > 0:44:55debt storm. The French, German and American economy have ground to a
0:44:55 > 0:44:59halt. In Britain, we have got ahead of the curve and are taking
0:44:59 > 0:45:04difficult decisions, keeping interest rates down. I know it is
0:45:04 > 0:45:08tough for people out there. It is tough throughout the world. The
0:45:08 > 0:45:13decisions we have taken in Britain have given us the best chance of
0:45:13 > 0:45:19weathering the storm. When you have taken decisions which directly
0:45:19 > 0:45:22result in people losing their jobs, how do you feel? The decisions that
0:45:22 > 0:45:27the Government are taking are trying to protect jobs in Britain.
0:45:27 > 0:45:34We're trying to avoid what has happened in other countries. Look
0:45:34 > 0:45:37at Greece, Italy, Spain. You can see in America that there is higher
0:45:38 > 0:45:41unemployment. In Britain, where taking tough but necessary
0:45:41 > 0:45:50decisions to try to get unemployment down, get investment
0:45:50 > 0:45:55into jobs. Today, we have announced that we plan to create 400,000 new
0:45:55 > 0:46:01jobs for building new jobs for families. We're investing in jobs
0:46:01 > 0:46:06and a future. As there are cuts in public sector spending and those
0:46:06 > 0:46:10jobs go, then people are losing their jobs. Look, the Government
0:46:10 > 0:46:15over the last 10 years, the previous government, borrowed too
0:46:15 > 0:46:19much. We RN at debt crisis. We had the highest budget deficit of all
0:46:19 > 0:46:22the countries in the world. How do you personally feel when you know
0:46:22 > 0:46:28that cutting back on those things results in people losing their
0:46:28 > 0:46:35jobs? Of course every job that is lost is a matter of regret, but I
0:46:35 > 0:46:39am working flat out to create jobs. There are 500,000 jobs created in
0:46:39 > 0:46:43the private sector over one year. If you go on another borrowing
0:46:43 > 0:46:47spree, the interest rates will go up and that will hit every family
0:46:47 > 0:46:52with a mortgage, every business in the region who will have to lay
0:46:52 > 0:46:58people off. That is why we're doing the tough things we're doing. In a
0:46:58 > 0:47:03debt storm, you have to deal with your debts. People may all that.
0:47:03 > 0:47:11the Labour conference last week, Ed Miliband accused the Government of
0:47:11 > 0:47:16selling BAE Systems workers' jobs down the river. He was the economic
0:47:16 > 0:47:22adviser along with Ed Balls who got the country into this mess. Some
0:47:22 > 0:47:27silence from him would be appreciated. Specifically, the BAE
0:47:27 > 0:47:32Systems jobs, we're doing everything we can to create new
0:47:32 > 0:47:40jobs on our existing sites. One we will get new companies into those
0:47:40 > 0:47:46jobs site so -- those sites. They have lost their jobs because
0:47:46 > 0:47:50countries around the world have been cutting their defence budgets.
0:47:50 > 0:47:55We will be creating jobs on those same site for some of the most
0:47:55 > 0:48:05talented and highly skilled people in our country. What will it mean,
0:48:05 > 0:48:11having an enterprise zone? We will draw up an area of land to get our
0:48:11 > 0:48:18rates holiday for any company that moves there. Local area will get
0:48:18 > 0:48:22the benefits of some of the taxes that are raised. We have
0:48:22 > 0:48:26potentially several thousand people have lost their jobs across the
0:48:26 > 0:48:30site belonging to BAE Systems. We want to find new business they is
0:48:30 > 0:48:33to take them on. Are you worried when people on your own side are
0:48:33 > 0:48:39saying that there simply isn't a good enough growth strategy in
0:48:39 > 0:48:44place? Of course, we understand that this country has to work hard
0:48:44 > 0:48:47to create more jobs. That is why we have announced the enterprise zone
0:48:47 > 0:48:52in Lancashire today. That is why we have announced plans for hundreds
0:48:52 > 0:48:56of thousands of new jobs in the construction sector. Yesterday, we
0:48:56 > 0:48:59announced plans to make it easier to hire young people. We're doing
0:48:59 > 0:49:05everything we can to get this country working and make Britain
0:49:05 > 0:49:12open for business to weather the storm of the economic global debt
0:49:12 > 0:49:17crisis. Thank you very much. Back to you.
0:49:17 > 0:49:23And still joined by Jim Hancock. Major announcement there on and
0:49:23 > 0:49:33into Brighstone? Lancashire took a long time to get the Enterprise
0:49:33 > 0:49:34
0:49:34 > 0:49:43Partnership sorted. It should not be over emphasised what these
0:49:43 > 0:49:48enterprise zones can do. George Osborne has not said anything about
0:49:48 > 0:49:56cutting the 50p tax rate. I don't think we will hear that today.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59man is not for turning! -- the man. Now, seven weeks ago Manchester was
0:49:59 > 0:50:02one of several cities across the UK, including Liverpool and Salford,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04which erupted in riots. When the Justice Secretary Ken Clarke
0:50:04 > 0:50:07revealed that 75% of those convicted of taking part had
0:50:07 > 0:50:11previous convictions, it added fuel to a debate which has been going on
0:50:11 > 0:50:14for some time on how to pull repeat offenders out of a life of crime.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17Last year, the Government unveiled a Green Paper aimed at helping
0:50:18 > 0:50:23criminals to go straight. One of the first pilots is across Greater
0:50:23 > 0:50:27Manchester. But can it be done? Elaine Dunkley reports.
0:50:27 > 0:50:35It's meant be a deterrent but for many prison has become a way off
0:50:35 > 0:50:39life. This is John. He's been in prison nine times and spent 16
0:50:39 > 0:50:43years of his life behind bars. But things have changed. He's now got a
0:50:43 > 0:50:48paid job as a supervisor with the Blue Sky Project. But shaking off
0:50:48 > 0:50:52the label of convicted criminal isn't easy. Once you have been
0:50:52 > 0:50:56inside, you think you have no choice but to carry on committing
0:50:56 > 0:51:00crime. It is not for the lack of trying to get a job, it is just
0:51:00 > 0:51:05that no one will give you the chance. The blue-sky project has
0:51:05 > 0:51:09and it has worked for me. I wanted to change. Luckily, I got the
0:51:09 > 0:51:11chance. The Blue Sky project offers training and competes for
0:51:12 > 0:51:15commercial gardening contracts. It's helped 500 people like John.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20The only thing you need to get a job with this firm is a criminal
0:51:20 > 0:51:25record. There are all sorts of reasons why people reoffend. If
0:51:25 > 0:51:30people want to get out of the cycle of crime, it is hard for them to
0:51:30 > 0:51:36get a chance. People label them and they have preconceptions. Loose
0:51:36 > 0:51:41guide proves that people can change, they can be good employees and turn
0:51:41 > 0:51:44their lives around. Rather than becoming costly members of society,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47they will become taxpayer has. government's green paper called
0:51:47 > 0:51:50Breaking the Cycle Effective Punishment places less emphasis on
0:51:50 > 0:51:52locking people up repeatedly and more on giving people the skills to
0:51:52 > 0:51:56cope with life whilst in prison. At Strangeways, rehabilitation and
0:51:56 > 0:52:01honest graft seems to be working. Some inmates are already doing 40
0:52:01 > 0:52:07hours a week in the laundry and other workshops. The prison has
0:52:07 > 0:52:12managed to cut reoffending rates by one third. Inmates on short
0:52:12 > 0:52:15sentences are giving -- given mentoring to help them cope with
0:52:16 > 0:52:18life on the outside. With the prison population at an all-time
0:52:18 > 0:52:21high, perhaps it's time to think outside the box. Greater Manchester
0:52:22 > 0:52:26Police is trialling a new scheme. If they can cut re offending rates,
0:52:26 > 0:52:32they get cash back from the government. A lot of it is repeat
0:52:32 > 0:52:37business. The same offenders time and time again. It is a huge part
0:52:37 > 0:52:42of the workload for social services and the police. If we can work
0:52:42 > 0:52:48closer together on long-term programmes, that will reduce crime
0:52:48 > 0:52:52and help the public. We have to come up with alternatives to short
0:52:52 > 0:53:01prison sentences, but it is not easy. It is about giving people an
0:53:01 > 0:53:04offer to help them with their project. -- problem. This youth
0:53:04 > 0:53:06centre in Whythenshaw has been tackling gang culture for over 15
0:53:06 > 0:53:09years. Their concern is that not enough's being done to stop
0:53:09 > 0:53:12youngsters getting into the prison system in the first place. If you
0:53:12 > 0:53:18ask a councillor, they will tell you quite confidently that lots is
0:53:18 > 0:53:23being done. And there is. What is being done on estates like this.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27Youth clubs, youth provision. The problem is it is only attracting a
0:53:27 > 0:53:32certain level of youth. Unfortunately, they're not
0:53:32 > 0:53:36stretching themselves to bring in the kids that do want to be part of
0:53:36 > 0:53:41street gangs and out there that are carrying knives and have access to
0:53:41 > 0:53:49guns. The government say the measures it is introducing aren't
0:53:49 > 0:53:55about being soft but drawing a hard line under the cycle of crime.
0:53:55 > 0:54:01I am joined by Paul Maynard, a local MP. If you want to keep
0:54:01 > 0:54:05people out of prison, cutting youth centres is not the way to go.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10point. If you want to stop people getting on the conveyor belt of
0:54:10 > 0:54:14crime, youth services are one way to do that. But it is not just
0:54:14 > 0:54:19councils that provide youth services. Many voluntary groups
0:54:20 > 0:54:26around the country do that. If I was running a local council, I
0:54:26 > 0:54:32would be asking myself, if I had to cut your services myself, is it
0:54:32 > 0:54:36such a good idea to increase the rent for or scout services? They
0:54:36 > 0:54:41have to look at the issue as a whole. Would you say the
0:54:41 > 0:54:49Conservatives still are the party of law and order? You want to cut
0:54:49 > 0:54:58prison places and cut police officers. We very much our. We
0:54:59 > 0:55:03believe that victims are not getting a fair deal. The previous
0:55:03 > 0:55:08Government tinkered with the Criminal Justice Act constantly. We
0:55:08 > 0:55:13have spent 10 years coming up with our policies on law and order. We
0:55:13 > 0:55:18have tried to understand why the number of people and the prison
0:55:18 > 0:55:22population is increasing. We don't believe it needs to be. You have
0:55:22 > 0:55:28talked about having less people in prison and more about
0:55:28 > 0:55:31rehabilitation. Do you believe that is the way to draw? I simply posed
0:55:31 > 0:55:38the question. If crime is coming down, why is the prison population
0:55:38 > 0:55:44going up? There was a knee-jerk reaction in the aftermath of the
0:55:44 > 0:55:51riots. There should be a correlation between the amount of
0:55:51 > 0:55:55crime committed and the prison population. I don't think the
0:55:55 > 0:56:00judges over reacted. They had a difficult situation to deal with.
0:56:00 > 0:56:09There was an incredible amount of demand from the public for a hard
0:56:09 > 0:56:15hitting reaction. The people committing these crimes, many of
0:56:15 > 0:56:19them didn't have previous convictions. Each individual had