A community centre offering help on employment and benefit issues in the East End has been opened up by trade union UNITE.
The centre, at St George’s Town Hall in Cable Street, Shadwell, is the first of a number the union plans to open up across the country.
UNITE general secretary Len McCluskey pointed to the rich industrial history of Tower Hamlets, but warned of the “great poverty” the borough now faces.
He said: “The dockers have been replaced by finance workers in Canary Wharf. But alongside the wealth of this global finance centre is great poverty.
“This centre will be a vital resource to the local community.”
The centre will aim to help address unemployment in Tower Hamlets, offering IT courses and tips on CVs and interviews.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who was present at Monday’s opening, insisted the centre could play an important role in helping people find work.
He praised the role of trade unions in promoting safe working environments in light of the recent factory disaster in Bangladesh.
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