Unite to fight cuts at Sefton council
10th December 2009
Plans by Sefton council to cut 400 jobs and slash workers' terms
and conditions will be fiercely resisted, Unite the union has
warned today (Thursday).
Unite will meet Sefton council management on Friday 11th
December in a bid to stop the council's plans to attack jobs and
terms, which the local authority is looking to drive through next
year. The proposals include cuts to pay, sick pay entitlement and a
reduction in working hours with a deduction in pay. Hundreds
of jobs will also be lost in the process, Unite fears.
The council says the cost cutting follows a 'Strategic Budget
Review' exercise and will make the changes by March 2010.
Vowing to fight Sefton council over the proposed cuts, Unite
regional officer, Debbie Brannan, said: “These proposals are a slap
in the face for dedicated council workers and will mean a miserable
Christmas for them and their families.
"These workers understood that working for the council was never
going to be well paid, but they thought in return for their loyalty
and long service they would have a good pension scheme and sick pay
when they were ill. This is not case anymore.
"Sefton's cuts will attack their sick pay, cut their pay by an
hour a week, remove overtime payments and now hit the workers'
security in old age, something they’ve saved for all their working
lives. If the council is serious about cutting costs then it
should take a look at some of the salaries of those in senior
management including the cost of local councillors and ask
seriously if they are delivering value for money to the people of
Sefton.
“We will not stand by and allow this outrageous attack to
succeed. We are going to fight this all the way."
ENDS
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