“NO to cuts.” This is the rallying call to defend public services against what are being described as “savage and unnecessary” cuts.

A meeting has been called to discuss how trade unions and community groups can fight coalition decisions they say will destroy jobs and damage services, pensions and the welfare state.

The emergency forum arranged by Hampshire Association of Trade Union Councils (HATUC) will be held at Eastleigh Railway Institute at 7.30pm tonight.

University of London student activist Clare Soloman, a campaigner against university fees and education cuts who was involved in the occupation of University College London, will be among the speakers.

She will be joined by Don Harper, of Hampshire’s branch of the National Pensioners’ Convention.

Mark Woods, Unite union convenor in Southampton, will talk about how the city council’s cuts programme threatens services and jobs, while Jon Woods, Unison convenor in Portsmouth, will detail how communities are organising to fight back and TUC regional secretary Megan Dobney will talk about a national protest in London on March 26.

HATUC secretary Louis MacDonald said: “It is simply not true to say there is no alternative to savage cuts, that will only make matters worse.

“The working people, pensioners and students who will be hit so hard by these cuts played no part in causing the recession, while the bankers and corporations whose greed did cause it have been handed billions and are still paying out obscene bonuses paid for with our money.”