UNISON, the UK’s largest union, is calling on the government to reverse the cuts it made to flood defence spending in the wake of the flooding that is devastating communities across England and Wales.
To lift the fear of future flooding, the union is also demanding that the timetable for bringing flood defence schemes forward is restored.
UNISON members in the Environment Agency are working around the clock to do everything possible to deal with the flooding, but they are only fire fighting and want concrete action taken to make communities safer and more resilient.
UNISON national officer Matthew Lay said: ”Keeping people safe must be a government priority. It must do more to relieve the terrible ordeal of families forced out of their homes, or whose homes and processions have been damaged, by flooding that could and should be prevented.
“Prevention now is better than paying the enormous clean-up and insurance costs later. It makes economic sense too – for every £1 spent on defence schemes £8 is reaped in benefit. Bringing forward flood defence schemes would also create sustainable economic growth and jobs – something the government could do with right now.”
Following welcome praise from environment secretary Owen Patterson over the weekend, UNISON is calling for action not just words. The government needs to act fast to resolve the issue of insurance for flood-damaged communities, so they can have some relief from what is a dreadful situation.
UNISON is urging MPs to sign Early Day Motion 690, which calls on the government to reinstate the funding required to protect communities.
Notes to editors: The work being carried out by UNISON members at the Environment Agency focuses on all aspects of crisis management and response: members are involved in repairing flood defences, unblocking drains and sandbagging properties when problems do happen; setting up incident rooms to provide advice and deal with emergency calls; helping with the cleanup in the aftermath, and carrying out post-incident investigations.
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