THE GMB union yesterday accused the Government of "using the North-East as a ground for cheap, short-term employment" and urged it to boost manufacturing jobs in the region.

Tom Brennan, the union's regional secretary, said the North-South divide was becoming desperately wide.

"All the investment has been channelled to the South-East at the expense of our region and we are losing jobs," he said.

"We need continued investment and the Government's help in terms of channelling resources and giving companies assistance, but quite frankly it is not happening.

"I think the Government is quite happy to use the North-East as a ground for cheap, short-term employment - low-paid and low-skill type of work.

"We have still got a strong skill base at the moment, but we will lose it as people move away from the region in search of jobs in the South.

"The North-South divide is only going to get bigger and the Government should give specific support to the North-East now to boost manufacturing and maintain our skilled workforce."

A study by the GMB out yesterday revealed that counties in the South-East employ more manufacturing workers than traditional heavy industry areas, with the whole region employing 692,000 in the sector, compared to 201,000 in the North-East.

National officer Keith Hazelwood said: "Manufacturing jobs are vital to Britain's economy. We must draw on public procurement to boost manufacturing jobs.

"The Government needs to bring contracts forward to retain the skills of manufacturing workers who are moving to other industries and take positive action with responsible decisions.

"Greater emphasis is needed on sectors like the ship building industry if Britain is to have a future in manufacturing."

North-East shipbuilder Swan Hunter is still waiting to hear what role it will play, if any, in the Royal Navy's £4bn aircraft carrier programme, which could create 3,000 jobs in the yards, as well as sustaining at least another 8,000 in the wider supply chain.

Mr Brennan said: "There are warships to build, but it appears at the present time that these contracts will be awarded to companies away from the North-East .

"There have been a lot of promises made on the back of this massive aircraft carrier project, which will maintain skills and work in the North-East, and yet the Government is not doing anything about it. The Government needs to share this work out on an equal basis and not neglect the North-East."

The number of people employed in manufacturing firms across Britain has fallen by 1.1 million over the past eight years to 3.6 million.

The greatest decline in the North-East was seen in Durham, where the numbers of people working in manufacturing have dropped by 20,000 from 59,000 in 1997 to 39,000 in 2005.