TRADE Union chiefs have slammed Warrington council’s cutbacks and wholesale redundancies across all services.
A 30 day consultation period set by the council for a first phase of cuts has now ended leaving both UNISON and GMB “bewildered” at the proposals and procedures being followed.
In a joint statement UNISON and GMB have written formally to all elected councillors highlighting and challenging the integrity of the consultation which has left many outstanding issues.
Bob Pinnock, GMB branch secretary said: “It is critical that council members are fully aware of all the facts and understand that the Trade Unions are challenging for all the right reasons.”
Ian Marks, leader of WBC informed full council on Monday that approximately £28 million had been spent over the previous three years on agency staff and consultancy fees. The Trade Unions have been informed that savings of £30 million have to be made over the coming three years resulting in restructures and proposals which prematurely assume the need to make redundancies and cut services.
Jason Horan, UNISON Joint branch secretary said: “The Trade Unions cannot stand by and watch our members face redundancy when substantial amounts of money are being wasted in agency staff and consultancy fees. We will challenge robustly at the highest level any proposals that are presented to us.”
“The decisions the council are facing are difficult in the present economic climate, however councillors should be asking the questions we are and keeping everyone involved and leading the council through this difficult time.
Members of the public, which include council employees, will demand answers at the next election and it isn’t helpful when squabbling or towing party lines overshadows the human issues. 
“Ignoring the Trade Unions has in the past cost the council substantial sums in compensation through tribunal proceedings. Should present circumstances continue the Trade Unions will take any necessary action.”
Council leader Ian Marks (pictured) said: “The budget consultation process has been both detailed and extensive and we have listened very carefully to the views of our staff and the trade unions . Their feedback has resulted in a number of changes to our initial proposals.
“Like many organisations regardless of the sector or size, the borough council has to supplement its workforce with temporary agency staff from time to time in order to maintain front line services.
“The cost of agency staff is funded within available resources and we keep our agency staffing levels under constant review. In addition like any large organisation there is need to acquire professional advice and input to ensure that the council is meeting all of its legal obligations.
“Warrington is not alone in facing budget challenges – all councils now find themselves in the same position.”
3 Comments
“Warrington is not alone in facing budget challenges – all councils now find themselves in the same position.”
Are the other councils also run by a bunch of incompetents? This lot don’t have a clue, and the councillors, on the whole, are being dictated to and seem to have NO control over what happens to “their” town.
We can not blame the local council but the present Labour government who bailed out the banks who got the British economy into trouble, now they are penalising local government by reducing grants/budgets who in turn have to reduce services and make staff redundant to compensate, wouldn’t it be a good idea that if all bankers of all descriptions forgo their multi thousand/million pound bonuses, profits and give them back to the government/tax payer who kept their jobs/banks from going out of business to keep the public services to a standard that we all deserve.
This council has been in a mess and in debt for years, not just since the current lot got in.
Yes, the Government cause a lot of it, but they don’t tell this bunch of incompetents what services to cut whilst continuing the spend, spend, spend.
Where do you draw the line with staff reductions and service cutbacks?