Hampshire Library Staff Take Strike Action

UNISON members working in Hampshire libraries staged a 2 day strike on 22 and 23 March and a demonstration in Winchester on 22 March. This followed the announcement from Hampshire County Council of a radical restructure of the library service. UNISON representatives within Hampshire libraries have been frustrated by Hampshire County Council’s refusal to agree talks to end the dispute and libraries could close again on 16 April as a result of further strike action. 

The restructure would see the loss of 27 posts and pay cuts of around £4,500 for a further 17 staff. The cuts are part of a ‘de-professionalisation’ of the service – the staff to go would all be qualified librarians. Some will stay but will have to apply for non-qualified jobs at a lower pay rate. On 22 March, over 100 library staff from across Hampshire marched through Winchester centre, carrying placards and distributing leaflets.
 
Library staff received widespread public support. The vast majority of service users offered words of sympathy and encouragement whilst signing the petition against the proposals. UNISON members explained their regret that service-users may be disrupted but explained that they were faced with no alternative but to take action to prevent the services provided by Hampshire’s libraries being reduced further. UNISON officials expressed concern for public health & safety as some libraries remained open on reduced and inadequate staffing levels.

Members of the public were outraged that such an important service could be reduced, to the detriment of the local community. Whilst signing the petition to halt the cuts one lady said, ’I would rather loose my cashcard than my library card,’ another asked, ‘if you cannot subsidise libraries, then what is learning all about?’. Many feared the risk of future closures of local libraries should staffing levels reduce any further. UNISON members at Havant library returned to the picket lines to find multiple pages of their petition signed in their absence by sympathetic passers-by. One supporter said, ‘library staff been given no option but to take action to preserve resources for the community and to save their jobs.’ To date the petition has been signed by nearly 4,000 people.

UNISON Steward, Steve Squibbs said, “What management are proposing will not just affect library staff, but will have a drastic impact on the standard of service that Hampshire residents receive. These cuts will mean a reduction in the levels of professional staffing by a massive 76% in just three years – to say that members of the public won’t notice any difference is living in cloud-cuckoo land.”

“Librarians currently deliver a huge range of activities from promoting the joy of reading to children through story-time events, school visits, children’s holiday activities and the summer reading challenge, to author events, book promotions, support for reading groups, internet taster sessions, not to mention dealing with complex enquiries, maintaining special collections and ensuring a balanced book stock which meets the needs of local communities across Hampshire. If these cuts go ahead we simply will not be able to carry on with all of these activities – staff are already stretched to the limit.”

“The real tragedy is that management seem to be doing their utmost to squander the knowledge, skills and experience that librarians have developed over years of service. The redundancies are a real waste, but the loss of salary will result in librarians leaving the service in droves – what kind of way is that to run a modern library service”

Hampshire libraries could close again on 16 April in a further strike. The
16 April strike is the first in a new round of action planned by UNISON. UNISON representatives within Hampshire libraries have been frustrated at Hampshire County Council’s refusal to agree talks to end the dispute. A meeting scheduled for 3 April between Cllr. Ken Thornber and union reps was cancelled at the last minute by the Leader. He told UNISON he could see no point in meeting. Now Council managers say they will discuss the dispute on 12 April.

‘We have been disappointed at the Council’s lack of urgency,’ said UNISON rep Steve Squibbs, ‘but we are hopeful that things are now moving. We have made it clear to them all along that the way to resolve this dispute is to talk to us about how their proposals can be amended and a quality, professional library service maintained. ‘We have already demonstrated our strength and determination over two days of strike action – to think we would now throw in the towel without any offer on the table is wishful thinking on their part.

‘Nobody in the Library Service wants to take more strike action, but if we don’t get a commitment from the employer to negotiate then we shall have no other option. It is in the interests of everyone, particularly service users, that they drop the hard-man act and get round the table with us,’ said Steve.

UNISON argues that the drastic measures proposed by Hampshire County Council can only result in a worse library service for Hampshire residents. A petition calling on the council to reconsider its plans was signed by almost 4,000 library users since staff took strike action last month, and this is also available on the UNISON South East website (see http://www.unison.org.uk/southeast/pages_view.asp?did=5041 for details).

Please send messages of support and contributions to the strike fund to Steve Squibbs, UNISON Hampshire Branch, UNISON Office, St Thomas' Centre, Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9E, telephone 01962 842094 or e-mail Steve Squibbs c/o julie.murdoch@hants.gov.uk>

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