Published at 13:18, Sunday, 30 September 2012

LABOUR leader Ed Miliband will not back plans to pay Cumbrian public sector workers less than people doing the same job in the south.

RESOLUTE: Labour leader Ed Miliband believes the coalition’s proposals for regional or local pay are unfair

He said he had “deep scepticism over the policy” and Labour would not be supporting the coalition’s proposals for regional or local pay.

Mr Miliband said: “It is not fair to say if you live outside London you will be paid less and all the evidence on the way regional pay works shows you can get inflationary pressures as one region competes against the other.

“I do not know where government is on this, lots of Lib Dem and Tory MPs are against it so I am not sure what will come out. We have a very clear view on it. We are not in favour of it, it is not the answer and it is not fair.”

Under the plans pay would be in line with the local private sector salary rather than set nationally.

Critics fear the regions would be disproportionately hit and could result in a “brain drain” with people forced to move to areas where they would be paid more to do the same job.

The comments come at the start of Labour’s annual conference in Manchester entitled Rebuilding Britain, where Mr Miliband will also announce plans for a youth task force and urge Labour MPs and councils across the country to tackle the “youth unemployment emergency”.

He said: “My first priority as Prime Minister would be to tackle this and it is one of the important things we will discuss at our conference this week.’’

In Barrow alone there are 600 18 to 24 year olds on the dole, a further 585 in Copeland and 220 in South Lakeland. Long term unemployment among young people in the area is rife with 110 young people out of work for more than a year compared with just five in August last year.

Copeland’s picture is also bleak with 100 long-term unemployed youths also up from five. South Lakes is not as affected with just 20 people claiming the payment for more than 12 months, again up from five.

The Labour leader said solutions to the economic crisis, plans on how to help small businesses and the jobs crisis were all set to be discussed.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk