- Conference
- 2011 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 24 February 2011
- Decision
- Carried
This Conference is concerned that the coalition Government cuts to Local Authority funding are leading to substantial cuts in Local Government jobs. The loss of these jobs and services will have a disproportionate effect on some of the most vulnerable people in society, rural communities, and those low paid Local Government workers who remain in service.
Attacks on Local Government members’ terms and conditions including the pay freeze, attacks on welfare benefits and the recent increase in Value Added Tax combine to leave the majority of Local Government workers who are on modest or low pay, unable to manage to meet their financial commitments. The loss of facilities on which many of our low paid members and their families rely, such as the closure of libraries, public meeting rooms, community centres and information centres in rural areas together with cuts to rural bus services, will have a savage impact on the community and our members.
Despite the Government’s claims that the private sector will absorb public sector job losses, there is no evidence to support this. Indeed, the evidence suggests that businesses, especially small businesses, are shedding jobs and being forced to shut to the detriment of the local economy and forcing public and private sector workers into years of unemployment and poverty. Furthermore, once Local Government jobs have gone, together with the expertise, experience and local knowledge our members can provide, it will be difficult to replace them at a later date once the facilities that support them and places of work have been closed and the premises sold off.
We call on the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
1) Raise the impact these job losses and cuts in Local Government services are having on rural communities through UNISON’s Million Voices Campaign;
2) Contact Councillors, Members of Parliament (England), Assembly Members (Wales), Members of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland) and Members of the Scottish Parliament (Scotland) to raise the issue of the disproportionate effect of the cuts in Local Government on our low paid members and vulnerable people particularly in rural communities.