UNION bosses at Warrington are challenging Town Hall chiefs to “go undercover” to learn about the jobs frontline council workers do – and which are under threat.
They believe councillors and members of the council’s senior management team do not realise the effect the looming spending axe will have on the services the council provides.
Jason Horan, joint branch secretary of UNISON said: “If they accept this challenge, perhaps they will have a better understanding of how cuts can be utilised across the council in an effective way without damaging services to the residents of Warrington.
“However this is a big ask and we are not convinced the challenge will be accepted.”
Mr Horan believes the spending review being announced by the Coalition Government today will potentially decimate local government.
The cuts will put hundreds of local jobs at risk, both in the local authority and in the private sector.
He said: “The public and private sectors are inter-dependent and by hitting one you damage the other.
Councillors running Warrington Borough Council, along with the Senior Leadership Team, will be making rash decisions to cut budgets so that the books can be balanced.
“How will these cuts affect services the local authority provide to the residents of Warrington? How will these cuts affect the long term stability of staff?”
Mr Horan said if councillors and senior officers went undercover for a full week to work alongside the frontline workforce they would see for themselves how difficult it already is to deliver a valuable service with limited resources.
If council chiefs accepted the challenge it would help them understand the impact of the cuts before decisions were made.
UNION bosses at Warrington are challenging Town Hall chiefs to "go
undercover" to learn about the jobs frontline council workers do - and which are under threat.
Union's challenge to councillors
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
5 Comments
No chance.
They don’t do work, that’s why they are councillors.
UNDERCOVER???? OK so if as suggested ‘councillors and senior officers went undercover for a full week to work ALONGSIDE the frontline workforce’ …….. wouldn’t they be recognised ??? ha ha
You have to make allowances, after all he is only a Joint Branch Secretary. Perhaps the other JBS does the thinking. He probably doesn’t realise that he also accepted that cuts could be utilised, it isn’t often you hear that admission from a Union man.
You could make a programme about that. Oh, thats right they already have.
My issue was merely that they are suggesting council bosses go undercover….. I do agree that it may be beneficial for those at the top making the decisions to actually sit in with, or to try doing the jobs, of those frontline workers who’s jobs may be on the line. All to often ‘bosses’ have no real concept of how the ‘work’ is actually done and what is really involved, they just see the end product or the produced reports and figures !!