Jobs News

Union predicts council jobs cut numbers

January 17, 2011

A public services trade union is forecasting a “bleak New Year” for council workers and predicting 100 job losses at Reading Borough Council.

The GMB said a total of 87,374 jobs are threatened across the UK at 107 councils.

The union claimed: “These are not town hall pen pushers, but social workers, school dinner ladies and meals on wheels providers, refuse collectors, home helps, youth workers across the range of front line council services that are being decimated.”

Brian Strutton, GMB national secretary for public services, said: “The axe is now falling indiscriminately on people who played no part in causing the deficit but are expected to lose their jobs to pay for it.

“The debt junkies in the banks, hedge funds and private equity houses who caused this recession have been bailed out using £850 billion of taxpayers’ funds while the Government shamefully seeks to pass the blame onto overspending in the public sector.”

Reading Borough Council spokesman Chris Branagan said: “The council’s cabinet will be making some decisions about next year’s budget today.

“Reading Borough Council has a good working relationship with local trades unions and will, if needed, consult with them and members of staff on any posts that may be at risk of redundancy.

“However, until a formal decision is taken about the budget for next year, we cannot comment on the figures suggested by GMB.”

GMB also claims there are 140 jobs under threat at West Berkshire Council and 1,000 at Oxfordshire County Council.

| View Comments (11)

« Previous Story | Next Story »

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Most recent user comments 11 of 11

As sad as it is on a personal level for those affected, practically everyone I know in the private sector has been affected for the last 2 years, either job cuts/pay freezes/pension cuts or all of the above, it was coming.

Got to be Joking, Reading
18/01/2011 at 08:33

So sad - to bad ... the days of council jobs-for-life ended with the election of a certain lady back in '79.

Having been a member of 2 trade unions, I can honestly say that they never did anything for me, except collect my dues.

The Racing Snake
18/01/2011 at 00:33

The sad thing about this is the patent unfairness of what is to happen. I was talking to one of the anti-graffiti men last week and he was accepting quite philosophically that his job might go. I felt really bad for him. We should be finding a way not to thrust this burden on "the few". It is clear that something has to be done but can we not do it with more loving care for our fellows - after all, regardless of the cause, we should all be in this together and share the burden.

AndyMan, Reading
17/01/2011 at 20:15

... That is 100 MORE job losses, on top of the ones already cut.

"average office-based-public-sector-bone-idle type" - absolute twaddle.

Sense, Tilehurst
17/01/2011 at 16:18

it not be cheaper for the Council to outsource all of there maintenance work to an external company, that way getting rid of there pension requirements and final salary if they have it.

HappyScot, Reading
17/01/2011 at 16:05

100 from Reading - not enough.

hudson, reading
17/01/2011 at 15:39

So 87,000 *

Nimrod Maximus, www.getcensored.co.uk
17/01/2011 at 15:24

“The axe is now falling indiscriminately on people who played no part in causing the deficit but are expected to lose their jobs to pay for it."

Yes but it is also swinging for the head of your average office-based-public-sector-bone-idle type. Which is good news obviously as they now may have to work for a living. Rather than wander around some RPA/DEFRA type department feigning effort on taxpayer's wonga...

S C A R
17/01/2011 at 14:59

What do you mean so? Whatever you might think of people who work in the public sector they have bills, mortgages and families.

Whilst I appreciate that there is overstaffing in the public sector and it needs to be rationalised - the prospect of anyone loosing their job whether in public or private sector, is not to be laughed at.

That's a very unkind comment you make.

Common Cents, Reading
17/01/2011 at 14:21

One day the unions might wake up and realise that the banks are not completely responsible for the mess we're in. Liebour overspending and continually running a deficit contributed towards it, however as per Milipede's interview on the Marr Show on BBC yesterday he was happy for a deficit to be run and didn't see any problem with it. Typical socialist attitude, no fiscal responsibility and someone else will bail us out when the proverbial hits the fan.

"The union claimed: “These are not town hall pen pushers, but social workers, school dinner ladies and meals on wheels providers, refuse collectors, home helps, youth workers across the range of front line council services that are being decimated.”"

In Liebour controlled councils you're spot on. In the 80s, Liebour councils made a point of cutting frontline services, yet in the Tory controlled councils the pen pushers were the first to go. It looks like the same is going to happen again, all in the name of political point scoring and not in the public's interest.