DEATH BY A 1000 CUTS!
BRANCH RESPONSE TO THREAT OF A 1000 REDUNDANCIES
Following the Councils sudden announcement that a 1000 voluntary redundancies were needed or compulsory redundancies would be necessary , the branch called a special meeting.
The meeting agreed the following motion;
"This branch
condemns the Condem governments continued assault on public services .
We believe
this attack is ideologically driven and will not be stopped until our services
are completely decimated.
But this
branch also condemns Wolverhampton Labour Council and by their silence Wolverhampton labour party in their acquiescence
to Government dictat .
Rather than
invoking the spirit of ‘poplarism’ , they hold their hands up and surrender.
The branch
believes this is both a betrayal of the trade union movement and the Wolverhampton electorate who put them there.
This branch
believes it would be well to remember that whilst the labour councillors in Poplar were sent to
prison for their fight to protect the workers and their families from unjust
Government attacks, Labour Councillors today do not face this threat.
This branch
believes that there comes a point when labour councils must recognise they are
no longer defending workers
And have
become merely the agents of the government
This branch
resolves;
to call
on the labour council to actively oppose cuts and be prepared to set a ‘needs
led’ budget.
To conduct
a consultative ballot of our members on the question of taking industrial
action to defend further job losses, to oppose any mass compulsory redundancies and service cuts".
UNISON
members care about the services we provide and the people we serve.
We have
engaged with the employer in restructure after restructure seeking to provide
reduced services and shed jobs to meet the budget cuts imposed by the Con Dem
government.
There comes
a time however , when we need to say
Enough is
enough
This far
and no further!
As members
of the trade union movement we cannot accept , as our Labour Council (and by
its silence the labour party itself ) Does.-They say
there is no alternative! They say
their hands are tied!
They say
this course of action will best safeguard the future Of services
needed by the the people of this city.
We say how
can savage cuts in jobs and services safeguard The future
of services?
We say does
anyone believe that when we have given up these jobs , that the Tories will
stop their decimation of public services?
We say how
can labour councillors elected by the working class of Wolverhampton act as puppets?
Where is
their fight ? where are their principles?
They say
lets unite as the labour movement and
fight against tories cuts,
But its
they who are the authors of these cuts, whilst they themselves rule out
fighting as elected councillors.
“some shed
tears” we are told , its not tears we need Its bravery
and fight!
In unity is strength!
It is no
longer a case of keep your head down , or as long as its not me mentality ,
because it could easily be any of us.
We must
take action to defend jobs and services
We must consult our members on industrial action
!
But some
will question can we win or whats the point?
We can t
guarantee that by taking action we will win
But what we
can guarantee,
is by doing nothing we will assuredly lose!
