The Government was urged today to "get a grip" on manufacturing after new figures showed that thousands of jobs were lost last month.
Research for the GMB union revealed that 2,300 manufacturing jobs were axed including 73 in the Prime Minister's Sedgefield constitiuency and hundreds in Rosyth, covering Gordon Brown's heartland.
The union said almost 500 more jobs were lost in August than the previous month and described the position as a "scandal".
General secretary Kevin Curran said almost 39,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost this year.
"By the end of the year we could be looking at 50,000 more people out of jobs in manufacturing.
"These figures show that the decline is not slowing as some in the Government and the CBI have claimed. If anything it seems to be speeding up."
Mr Curran said almost one million manufacturing jobs had been lost since Labour came to power in 1997.
"There is an answer - state aid and intervention, investment in manual skills for the many, not just educating the minds of the few.
"Where Britain could be leading, manufacturing is held back and weakened day after day by a lack of focus, ambition and political courage."
Monday September 13, 2004
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