TRANSPORT UNION RMT today slammed what it described as “the ConDem’s budget for the rich” – warning of widespread community and industrial resistance once people realise the full scale of the impact of the Government’s cuts plans for public services and the true cost for jobs and standards of living.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“Despite all the hype about sharing the pain this is without a doubt a budget for the rich. The champagne corks will be popping in the City bars tonight as the bankers and speculators realise that they have got away with the biggest financial heist on the British people in the history of our nation.

“Instead of sharing the pain, it’s the poorest who take the hit while the greedy elite who drove our economy over a cliff fly off to the tax havens to bank the bail-out cash that could be used to protect jobs, schools and hospitals.

“The increase in VAT, the attacks on pensions and benefits and the pay freeze in the public sector will all hit the poorest the hardest. The VAT rise immediately hits the real cost of living hard and drains money out of the economy choking off recovery and undermining standards of living.

“We can already see the cracks opening up in the coalition as some Lib Dems start to realise that jumping into bed with David Cameron is a political suicide pact. We intend to lever open those cracks as part of a political fight back against this assault on the British people. There is no question that there will be widespread industrial and community resistance to the cuts agenda and RMT will be in the front line wherever people are making a stand.”