A SERIES of leaked emails between Labour councillors at Warrington appear to reveal a serious split in the party over the controversial issue of changes to the terms and conditions of employment for the council’s workforce.
The ruling Labour executive has been accused, by backbench members of its own group, of letting officers run the council and betraying the unions.
One angry councillor says: “Day after day this Labour council carries on its attack on the workers.
“We on the inside know the officers are running the Town Hall and it is about time our leader got this message…the uprising is starting.”
Ironically, one of the leaked emails is from deputy leader of the council Mike Hannon, (right) in which he asks fellow Labour councillors not to attack one another by email because of the danger of leaks.
Another is from Fairfield and Howley councillor Kevin Bennett (left) who says: “I must let the Labour Group know my feelings. I hope you all realise my depth of feeling on this and I have not sent this e-mail on a whim. I hope some of you will stand up and support me.”
The row follows an apparent breakdown between Labour and the Town Hall unions, Unison and GMB, over proposed changes to employees’ terms and conditions. The two unions have issued a number of press statements highly critical of Labour.
Cllr Bennett says in an email to all Labour group members: “I am very, very concerned regarding the way this administration has ‘sidelined’ the official negotiating body, recognised under a National Agreement.
“The unions have fought for more than 100 years to get decent terms and conditions for their members. I would never have believed in a million years that we would resort to a ‘management ploy’ to attack the very people who empty our bins, keep our streets clean, look after our elderly and mentally ill etc.”
Cllr Bennett says the previous Lib Dem/Conservative administration sat around a table with the unions and Labour should do the same.
“The unions have put forward some recommendations to save £2 million, but we have not been privy to that information. Having to find out what we had done by reading it in the press made me very angry.
“As a Labour administration, if we cannot talk, constructively, with the unions then God help us.
“During the last administration we constantly attacked them for being ‘officer led’ and it appears now that we are the same.”
Cllr Bennett adds:”I would love to have a full meeting to discuss these issues but I cannot see that happening, that is why I felt that I must let the Labour group know my feelings.”
Cllr Hannon, in an email also sent to Labour group members, says: “I can understand the anxiety you may feel about the proposed changes to terms and conditions of employment of our workforce. And the reason why I say this is because I too feel angry about the need to consider difficult options to address the serious financial predicament all local authorities are in because of the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition’s decision to slash our funding.
“We have had numerous exchanges and meetings with union representatives, but during the summer they chose to withdraw from the negotiating table and they have since snubbed all formal written and informal verbal requests to come back around the table. Instead, they have chosen to conduct their negotiations via open letters to the opposition parties and press releases to the media.
“In contrast, I have chosen not respond to these tactics; I have not issued any letters nor have I issued any press releases, instead I have chosen to give regular reports back to the Group. In return, you have unanimously backed me and given me the authority to progress this issue.”
Cllr Hannon says he wants to work with the unions but cannot “drag them to the negotiating table.” He has told them his door is always open.
“In the meantime the workforce are in limbo and every month that passes makes our financial predicament that bit worse and the prospect of compulsory redundancies that bit more real… and it is the latter that I am sure every Labour councillor is desperate to avoid.
“Let me reiterate that we are just consulting on options. No decision has been made nor will any be made until the consultation process has been concluded.
“In the meantime I ask that we all remain united.
“Let us remember, the Coalition Government has forced us down this road and we do not need to give them any additional joy by having public disagreements.
14 Comments
Councillor Hannon’s memory doesn’t seem too good, the reason that, as he puts it, that they are being forced down this route is that the UK is very heavily indebted, and it is simply unable to carry on supporting that level of rising debt. Simply put, in its final year the previous government had an income of about £600 billion, but was spending about £750 billion. Even with the reduction in spending that the current government is planning, its spending will still be far greater than its income, indeed at the end of this Parliament the budget deficit will only be halved if they are lucky, as I think they are struggling to get control of spending. The so called growth that we were meant to have had in the last decade or so was never real, the money to pay for it never existed, it was all borrowed money with no credible plan to repay it. No doubt at the time creating lots of new jobs, building new hospitals and schools was a popular thing to do, pity nobody thought about how it was going to be paid for. Now they know, it is going to be paid for with job reductions, pay freezes or salary cuts and tax rises. Politicians need to get real, and maybe go on an economics course as part of their training. Personally I have never known of a debt crisis being solved by increasing debt, but don’t take my word for it, debtors’ courts are full of people who have tried to borrow their way out of debt, whilst those who cut their spending and controlled and reduced their debts have stayed out of the courts. I guess if it is all too much for the current administration in Warrington’s Town Hall to cope with, they can let the previous lot take over control again next May.
Surprise, surprise!!! It’s time that this Labour Controlled Council got to grips with its Officers. Is that not one reason why, in a Democracy, we elect our Councillors to ensure that we are no dictated to by non elected people? In many parts of the Town Officers are riding roughshod over residents who have genuine concerns. This new administration is certainly no better than the one it replaced in May 2011 despite the fact that they criticised the previous administration for allowing Council Officers too much power. I admire Coun Bennett for speaking out but, I guess, he will now be labelled a “trouble maker” and not selected at the next election. It’s time that the Cabinet System was replaced by the much tried and tested Committee Structure of local government and then, when all members of the Council are included in all decision making, this sort of diasagreement will not happen. It appears that our local Councillors are in disarray without any firm Leadership within either the Members or Officers. Please, stop the bickering and get on to work for the good of this Town.
It’s time Labour remembered it was their Government that ruined this country and it is our town that is suffering. If they had continued then we would be worse than Greece, Spain and Ireland Its time to say we have no trust in you Labour.
Also didn’t they only give about 5 mins debate at the Exe Board – THE NO QUESTION LABOUR GROUP
Staff and the town were safer under the Lib Dems and sad tories. Warrington Stand up and get rid of Labour in this town – for all our sakes stop dithering Labour each day you cost another job here at WBC – at least we knew it was only going to be 181 under the Libs (which is very sad) – with you lot we will go into the hundreds
If I was Councillor Bennet t I would tell Labour to clear off – go Ind or join the Libs or Tories – How many other Labour people are saying the same????? Terry to go by Xmas I think with the Hannon's
The £2m saving is in the budget set by the Lib Dems and Tories – take your blinkers off and see what is going on here, for Christ’s sake
The councillors will never bring the officers to heel – it gives them someone faceless to blame when laws are broken, money is wasted, and the services provided continue to be diabolical! Good Lord! If the executive members of the council actually RAN the borough then they might have to take responsibility for their portfolios and fancy titles, which given the appalling track record of virtually every WBC department would mean mass resignations of councillors and the gravy train shuddering to a halt!
Are people actually waking up to the fact that officers have been running the council for years? Amazing. They’ll be saying that the earth is round next!!!
Yes but Labour are delaying so that means more jobs to go
How is that? This is a CONSULTATION period – you don’t know what will come out at the end, so spouting on about more jobs being lost is plain stupid. I presume that you would have been happier with Ian Marks forcing it through by now then, with no staff consultation? Ridiculous!
You seem to know a lot about it – were you there, perchance? 🙂
Which is worse; our bunch of obviously incompetent council officers, at all levels and in most departments, or the successive batches of our local politicians, most of who promise to put matters right, then consistently fail to deliver once elected in to power? There is no doubting the conflicting combination of the two factions, which we have no option other to put up with for too long, has been bad for the people of Warrington, who really deserve better.
Private Eye rightly highlighted the wrong doings of our dysfunctional council in its Rotten Boroughs pages by bringing them to the attention of a wider national audience. Since then little has changed, as the officers responsible for the gross mismanagement and failings in corporate governance continue, unchecked, to ride roughshod over the electorate, whilst the politicians ponder how to deal with them. This situation should not be allowed to continue.
Hopefully the leaked emails are the first signs that the new administration is beginning to get a grip of the officer led maladministration which has plagued and tainted the council’s actions for years.
I was and they couldn’t ask a question – I take it all was dealt with in Cllr Hannons informal meetings he spoke about?????????? funny way to consult
don’t slag off the work force we are only as good as the people (councillors that lead us)
Are you telling us that it was the Councillors who ordered the destruction of statutory records, in contravention of national and the Council’s own procedures? The self same officers were involved in or aware of the trashed records, but continued to advise Councillors on planning matters. So it seems a tad more complicated than we have been led to believe, if you’re telling us to lay off criticizing the officers.
The claim that officers are merely doing the bidding of our elected members, as both go about Council business, also seems a trifle far fetched on what has so far been made public, by Councillors and officers. If a little more light could be shone on what really takes place in the workings of this borough I’m sure the people of Warrington would welcome it, as must be very clear from the tone of the postings on this.