A Scotland-wide anti-cuts federation will be launched at a conference being held in Glasgow on 29 January.
In the weeks following the conference, councils across Scotland will discuss budget proposals to slash £1 billion from spending on services and jobs. This will be the first phase of cutting a total of £3 billions over the next three years.
All Scottish councils have signed up to a “deal” with the SNP government in Holyrood under which the SNP claimed that cuts in local authority funding would be “limited” to 2.6%, in exchange for councils maintaining the council tax freeze and maintaining police numbers.
But Labour-controlled Glasgow City Council is claiming that despite having agreed to the SNP “deal” last December, its funding is being cut by 3.6%. And cuts of 6.4% would have been imposed by the SNP on any local authority which refused to sign up to this “deal”.
The 29 January rally and conference are being held at the initiative of the “Defend Glasgow Services” campaign, which organised an initial meeting last November to begin to bring together trade union branches, local anti-cuts campaigns, and local and national community groups.
Saturday 29 January
Rally: “No Cuts! No Privatisation!”
Assemble: 11.30am,
George Square, Glasgow
Conference: “Fight the Cuts! Defend Jobs, Services and Pensions!”
1.30-4pm, Unison offices,
18 Albion Street, Glasgow