Trade unions understand need to tackle deficit, says Cable (Rotherham & Barnsley Liberal Democrats)

Rotherham & Barnsley Liberal Democrats <info@rotherhamandbarnsleylibdems.org.uk>

Trade unions understand need to tackle deficit, says Cable

September 13, 2010 2:44 PM
Originally published by UK Liberal Democrats

Business secretary Vince Cable today said he believed the trade unions understood the need to tackle the budget deficit. The TUC's annual comference gathered today in Manchester.

Speaking to Sky News' Dermot Murnaghan, Dr Cable said:

"You know, we've inherited a massive deficit, it's a consequence, a fallout from the banking crisis and then from the recession; the last Labour government were embarking on a programme of spending cuts and we have to do the same, and we're doing it in a much more honest, upfront way and we're tackling it early; that the trade unions, I think, privately understand we have to deal with this so we're not going to be intimidated by threats.

"No, we're not looking for confrontation with the trade unions, we're not threatening them, we… we're just explaining very clearly that we've got a task to do. We've got a massive inherited problem, we're going to have to deal with it. As I say, we're not looking for confrontation. I'm… my doors are open to them if they want to come and talk to me, and we're not doing… we're not approaching this problem by, you know, threats and counter-threats; that's not the sensible way to deal with this problem."