A RESOURCE centre which helps the city’s unemployed is opening at night to cope with increased demand.

The Salford TUC Unemployed and Community Resource Centre has seen a sharp rise in users since the start of the recession.

As a result, the centre will now open between 5pm and 8pm once a week in a bid to offer a more flexible service to users.

Alec McFadden, manager at the centre, said: "Given the state of the economy there’s a higher number of people signing on or working part time.

"As a result there has been an increase in the number of people using our centre and by offering evening sessions we hope that those people who can’t make it during the day can still get the help they need."

As of Tuesday, April 14, the new opening hours will come in to play with the centre’s evening service taking place every Tuesday.

And as well as running the centre, Alec is standing as a candidate in a forthcoming union election.

Alec, who lives in the Wirral, is standing for the general north west seat on Unison’s National Executive Council (NEC).

He said: "The reason that I have agreed to contest this election is that the needs, wants, expectations and aspirations of Unison members and their families have been badly let down by the majority on the present NEC."

The NEC is an elected body consisting of union members from all regions and service groups.

Its role is to decide on issues and campaigns between conferences and work with UNISON to support its members.

The key issues on which Alec is focusing his election campaign are single status agreements, pay cuts in the public sector and Unison’s relationship with the Labour Party.

Alec said: "There is an unhealthy and grotesque relationship between the present Unison leadership and the Labour Government and there are conflicts of interest between the wants and needs of our members and those of the Labour Government.

"I believe that Unison is broken and needs to be fixed.

"I will serve members’ interests and make job security, pay and conditions and pensions the priority once more in Unison."

Voting on the NEC elections is open to all Unison members.

For more information about the Salford TUC Unemployed and Community Resource Centre call: 0161 7892999.