Unions have warned that Britain's manufacturing base is being destroyed by cheap foreign labour.

Britain will become a nation of "fat cats and hairdressers" unless the government helps communities relying on traditional industries that cannot compete with imports from countries such as India and China.

Amicus, the union which represents manufacturing workers, called for an independent commission to investigate the issue.

The union, which begins its annual conference on Saturday, warned the continuing recession in manufacturing is likely to cost another 200,000 jobs.

It also highlighted the fact that growing number of firms operating in the service sector, such as call centre owners, are increasingly moving their businesses to India where costs are a fraction of those in the UK.

Roger Lyons, the union's joint general secretary, said the trend was an inevitable result of globalisation and the government had to ensure Britain's workers had alternative employment.

"Our job now is to identify ways in which we manage that change so that our communities don't face the same fate as they did in the 1980s," he said.

"It is imperative now that the government acts on the lessons learnt from then and takes steps to manage this next industrial and social earthquake.

"We will take whatever action is necessary to make sure that employers and governments deal with this matter urgently and in partnership with communities that rely on them."