This article is devoted to the presentation of a multilevel method using finite differences that is well adapted for solving Stokes and Navier-Stokes problems in primitive variables. We use Uzawa type algorithms to solve the saddle point problems arising from spatial discretization by staggered grids and a semi-explicit temporal scheme. By means of a new change of basis operator, the two-dimensional velocity and pressure fields of an M.A.C mesh are gathered in a hierarchical order, into several grids preserving the M.A.C property on each of them. These new hierarchical unknowns, called Staggered Incremental Unknowns (SIU), allow us to develop techniques which reduce the cost of the resolution of either Stokes or generalized Stokes problems. An experimental estimation of the condition number of the inner matrix is given, and justifies the preconditioning effect of the staggered incremental unknowns.