Time to stand up for public services

This coalition in their rush to make ideological cuts in public services whilst blaming Labour for the global recession and for attempting to protect the public from mass bankruptcies, unemployment and homelessness are trying to blame publice servants for the economic problems whilst letting the real culprits, private sector bankers off without any retribution.

It is time to support our public services that assist the most vulnerable people in our society and it is time to support hardworking public servants who are facing the brunt of the cuts. I fully support the camapaign detailed below by the Joint Trades Union Committee to oppose unfair cuts made by the ConDem coalition.


Joint Trades Union Committee
ASPECT /AEP/ ATL / CYWU / GMB / NAHT / NASUWT / UCU / NAYCEO / NUT / ASCL / UNITE / UNISON

Rob Ketley - Chair - Education and Community Unions
Brian Jones - Vice Chair - Joint Shop Stewards Committee
Debbie McKenzie - Secretary - Staffside UNISON Office
Level 14, Civic Centre
Reading, RG1 7AE


READING BOROUGH COUNCIL TRADE UNIONS CALL FOR AN END TO UNFAIR CUTS
27/07/10

Starting on 28 July the Joint Trades Unions of Reading Borough Council have taken the decision to hold a series of rallies outside the Civic Centre every Wednesday between 12pm and 2pm to protest against cuts in the public sector.

Members from the thirteen recognised unions within the council, including UNISON, UNITE, GMB, and NUT, will be present every week to protest and talk to members of the public about what these cuts will mean for services and their community.

Speaking on behalf of the Joint Trades Union Committee Debbie McKenzie, Reading Borough UNISON Branch Secretary, said:

“The Government has repeatedly stated that cuts are essential and inevitable but the Trades Unions believe that there are alternatives. We have supported improvements in efficiency, and will continue to do so, but we will not support cuts that fall most severely on the most vulnerable in society. Our members are out there on the front lines every day and are worried about what cuts will mean to the people they work with.

We will be putting forward the argument that ordinary people should not suffer because the financial sector has been bailed out to the tune of billions of pounds of taxpayer money. Families are being asked to pay the cost of a situation they had nothing to do with creating * and we believe this is massively unfair. This is why Trade Union members will be taking to the streets every Wednesday, using their own time to speak to the community and say that there is a fairer way.

Any person wishing to find out more should come and meet us on Wednesday lunchtimes outside Reading Civic Centre. We’d be happy to meet you.”

The decision to take this action was made after a series of meetings, open to all union members at Reading Borough Council, took place over the past two weeks.