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Marchers stage job loss protest
PROTESTERS carrying banners and blowing whistles marched through the centre of Peterborough to highlight the threat to jobs in the city.
PROTESTERS carrying banners and blowing whistles marched through the centre of Peterborough to highlight the threat to jobs in the city.It is estimated that about 60 people joined the rally on Saturday to demonstrate opposition to the decision to close the Land Registry office in Peterborough with the loss of 300 jobs and to highlight the current threat to postal jobs.
Union leaders said they were happy with number of people, although it had been hoped that many more would have taken part.
The rally had been jointly organised by Peterborough Trades Union Council.
But only 60 workers from the Communications Workers Union (CWU), Unison, Unite, and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS and Peterborough Pensioners Association attended.
Many marchers carried flags and banners and blew whistles and a number of motorists showed their support by beeping their car horns as the rally made its way from Town Bridge car park through Long Causeway to the Central Library, in Broadway.
Afterwards, the organisers insisted that this is only the beginning.
Chairman of Peterborough Trades Union Council, Ron Graves (57) said: "This is a start. I am very pleased with the turnout.
"When we heard about the Land Registry job losses, the first thing we felt was a great deal of anger, because they are a hard working workfore.
"Then we thought 'what are we going to do about it?' because we're not going to be passive about it."
Bill Houghton (56), of Cowbit, near Spalding, could be out of work at the Land Registry after 25 years of service if the closure goes ahead.
He said: "I'm getting near to pension age, so I will be a lot better off then some of the younger workers.
"It's sad when you see your work colleagues in tears and thrown on the scrapheap."
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 11 February 2012
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