UNISON members at British Waterways are set to join mass floating protests by canal boat users and waterways enthusiasts across the country* this weekend.
Workers are angry that 180 jobs are to be axed by April 2007, because of the cut in British Waterway’s (BW) grant by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). UNISON is campaigning against the cuts and has made it clear to British Waterways that it will fight any attempts to implement compulsory redundancies.
‘Save Our Waterways Campaign’, a coalition of waterway user groups, has organised a weekend (25th/26th November) of protests and blockades. The group is campaigning against the 12.5% (£7.6 million) cut in grant because of the likely impact on canals and waterways.
Chris Fabby, UNISON National Officer and Trade Union Side Secretary at British Waterways said:
ÒIn the run up to Christmas 180 hard working, loyal British Waterways employees face the nightmare prospect of losing their jobs through no fault of their own. We are joining the weekend of mass floating protests and waterways blockades to make our feelings felt and are calling on DEFRA to reverse the unfair cuts in BW funding.
ÒWe have made it clear to BW that any attempt to implement compulsory redundancies will be met by a wave of protest by workers and the unions.
ÒHowever, if British Waterways is successful in clawing back any grant money, we want a commitment that it will used to eliminate, or at the very least reduce, the number of planned job cuts. Ò
UNISON is meeting with Labour MPs, with an interest in the nations’ waterways, next week to drum up support. The union is also stepping up its parliamentary lobbying campaign against the cuts.
ENDS
* The Save Our Waterways website contains a full listing of all the planned protestswww.saveourwaterways.org.uk