Local Councils

Local councils and local services

Expelling London's poor

The local council of Newham, east London (the main site of the 2012 Olympic Games), has written to a housing association in Stoke-on-Trent (160 miles away) in an attempt to re-house 500 families. It claims this is due to “overcrowding”, and the difficulty of finding private-rental homes for housing benefit claimants following the Tories’ introduction of a benefits cap. Gill Brown, the chief executive of Brighter Futures, the Stoke housing association approached by Newham, said they would decline the offer and denounced the plan as “social cleansing”. Waltham Forest borough council confirmed...

Save Sure Start!

On Thursday 19 April, a colourful and noisy protest of 250 women, children and men, plus teddy bears and balloons took place in opposition to cuts in Sure Start nursery care provision in Liverpool. The council is planning to cut close 10 of 26 Sure Start centres. This will mean job cuts as well as the devastation of childcare services people rely on. Private nurseries are over subscribed so many parent are worried they cannot continue to work or study. The protest took place at the consultation meeting called by Liverpool council — 100 people went inside to present a petition while the rest...

War of attrition in Southampton

Local government unions at Southampton City Council have settled into a low-level war of attrition with council bosses after an impressive campaign of creative, rank-and-file-driven industrial action in 2011 failed to prevent the imposition of new contracts. Members of Unite and Unison are still staging action short of a strike, which council bosses admit is costing them money. But, particularly since the focus shifted from the local battle onto the national pensions campaign (which now also stands on the brink of total collapse and defeat), unions seem to be investing their hopes in unseating...

Oppose elected mayors

In May, there will be referenda in 10 cities, alongside the local government elections, over whether they should have elected mayors. Socialists should advocate a No vote. The elected mayoral positions remove accountability to either the labour movement or the electorate on anything but a four or five yearly basis, and give the mayors power to override councils in that period. However the official leaflet I have received seems to be biased in favour of a mayor, posing the issue as one of voters’ rights against those of councillors’ caucuses.

My life at work: How dare they call us “unskilled”?

Catherine Miller works in refuse collection for a major local authority in southern England. Tell us a little bit about the work you do. I work for a local council. My department is responsible for the refuse and recycling collections, and the street cleaning for the City. I work in the office as an administrator; I pay invoices, do the filing, provide admin support to the Project Officers... Do you and your workmates get the pay and conditions you deserve? Definitely not. I am on the same salary as the operational staff, as both their and my job is deemed “unskilled”, which I find quite...

Thousands of jobs on the line as councils prepare new cuts

As local councils begin setting their 2012-2013 budgets, working-class people face another round of attacks as councils across the country put jobs and services back on the chopping block. Proposed job losses at larger councils figure in the hundreds. Leeds City Council plans “savings” of £55 million, including axing 400 jobs. Swindon Borough Council’s draft budget seeks to shed over 100 jobs as part of a £12 million cuts programme, including cutting trade-union facility time. £24 million and 300 jobs could go at Labour-run Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Nearly 400 jobs are on the line as...

Council workers strike against cuts

Workers at Cheshire West and Chester Council staged a three-hour stoppage on Tuesday 14 February to mark the beginning of a campaign of industrial action that will involve selective strikes in coming weeks. The workers – members of Unite, Unison and GMB – are attempting to force management to abandon a plan to introduce new terms and conditions, which unions say will reduce overtime pay and weekend allowance, by dismissing and re-engaging staff. GMB organiser Graham McDermott said: “The aim of this industrial action is to oppose the council’s decision to impose changes to terms and conditions...

Separate religion from politics

A High Court ruling has stated that councils have no statutory right to hold prayers at meetings. The case, brought by the National Secular Society, has resulted in outrage from Tory MPs, the Daily Mail, the Christian Institute and churches. They say this is discrimination against believers and an attempt to destroy Christianity. They claim it will lead to the end of prayers before Parliament, at remembrance services and that even the Coronation oath will have to be abolished. The Christian Institute also complains that the logic of this decision is that councils won’t even be allowed to sing...

Southampton battle not over

Trade unions at Southampton City Council have declared that their battle with Tory bosses over job losses and pay cuts is “continuing”, as the dispute stretches into its twelfth month.

Tower Hamlets education workers gear up for jobs fight

Central Foundation Girls School (CFGS) in Tower Hamlets, East London, has triggered a significant confrontation with trade unions in the borough by announcing a restructure which could see 13 workers lose their jobs and large numbers of support staff face pay cuts. Bosses claim that the school’s budget is in a terrible condition, forcing them to make cuts. But unions at CFGS have taken the view that the restructure is less about a financial imperative at CFGS and more about the borough-wide education funding priorities of Tower Hamlets local authorities. Unions insist that attacks faced by...

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