Construction Union UCATT has delivered a damning reaction to Chancellor George Osborne's budget announcement yesterday.

The Chancellor's budget speech yesterday was criticised by many for promising more restrictions on public spending and continued austerity, while not addressing mounting problems within the health system.

General Secretary Steve Murphy General Secretary of construction union UCATT, said: "The Chancellor’s statement confirms that austerity is here to stay in the UK should the Tories be elected in May. The proposed cuts of up to £30bn to public services and welfare will mean more pain to those that can least afford it.

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"There is precious little to welcome for low paid workers and those in vulnerable employment. For the Chancellor to have the audacity to stand and boast that the economic plan is working while 1m people rely on food banks, over 1m jobs in the UK are Zero Hours, and twenty per cent of all workers in the UK earning less than the living wage aptly demonstrates the contempt that the Tories have for workers. Thankfully on May 7 people will have the chance to remove them from office."

In response to an announcement that there will be consultation on tax relief for home to work expenses paid by Umbrella Companies, Mr Murphy said: "While we welcome any consultation examining the operation of Umbrella Companies in our industry, what is really needed is for these companies to be outlawed and driven out of the construction industry as they only exist to exploit building workers for their own profit."

(IT/MH)