Just as the boards were going up on the first of eleven libraries due to be axed by Wirral Council, we were told that the closures would be halted pending a Government enquiry.
This enquiry has come directly as a result of the campaigning that has taken place across the Wirral and is, despite problems will we face in the future, a big step forward. As council cuts begin to be made across the country, it is important activists pool information about what we are doing locally.
50,000 people responded to the council consultation on the cuts, yet Wirral council voted to go ahead with their immediate closures of 11 libraries, followed by an Art Centre, Town Hall, museum, a swimming pool and 49 community resources in the next two years. The council is also planning to close four schools presumably to sell the land to private developers.
By 2011 the Labour/ Liberal council plan to make £3.4 million in cuts and to contract out 900 jobs in social care and transport.
The cuts plans have been met with disbelief and anger by local people. The “consultation” meetings have been packed to capacity.
The council has treat us with contempt — refusing to let council workers leaflet against the cuts in their own workplaces.
“Community transfers” are the council’s big idea. They claim community groups are best placed to run facilities and are asking for bids. This way the council is not required to maintain buildings or services.
unfortunately Unison decided not to take any action over the cuts and job losses.
The political agenda of (the once) Labour Party, Liberals and the Tories is private profit before public need in both national and local politics. We are saying the needs of the local community must come first not their attempts to make profit.
Wirral Trades Union Council has launched Wirral Against the Cuts to unite all the different campaigns in the area. We have organised public meetings, lobbies of council meetings, protests at the libraries. We are filing a judicial review (though some of us are sceptical about this tactic).
There has been a lot of discussion about standing candidates against the Liberal and Labour councillors. Workers’ Liberty supporters say the campaign should support or stand working-class people that call for: an end to all job cuts; no closures, cuts or privatisations; for local resources to be based on public need not private profit. We have been talking about the need for trade union candidates and how the Trades Council should begin to organise such candidates.
We would like to know what’s happening in other areas and maybe we can begin link up the campaigns against council cuts.
Fuller article: www.workersliberty.org/node/12251
