9 January 2015
UNISON slams Edinburgh 1200 job cuts dressed up
as reorganisation
UNISON has reacted angrily to Edinburgh Council’s
announcement of 1,200 job cuts over four years.
The union has slammed the ‘dressing up’
of cuts as part of so-called new ways of working.
UNISON Edinburgh branch president John Stevenson,
said: “These job cuts have come as a body
blow to workers who have been struggling for years
to maintain front line services despite cut after
cut. Dressing this up as new ways of working cannot
disguise the reality of cuts to front line jobs
and services.
“UNISON will hold the council to its no compulsory
redundancy pledge. But if people take go voluntarily,
we have to speak up for the staff left behind. In
many areas where people directly serve the public
we are seeing increased levels of stress. A loss
of a further 1,200 jobs will only make this worse
as people are again asked to do more with less.
“These are not ‘roles’ as the
council says. They are people delivering a service.
This is not about a ‘Tesco’ council
as some reports say – at least we hope not
because Tesco is losing money and shutting stores.”
Branch secretary Amanda Kerr added: “At least
half of the posts being cut are front line staff
delivering direct services. Two per cent of front
line service delivery posts will be cut along with
500 front line team leaders and specialist posts.
These are not managers sitting in offices, these
are people directly providing services.
“Many more are in customer service. It almost
beggars belief that the council expects to improve
customer service by cutting customer service jobs.
Of course people want to access services on the
web but they also want to speak to a person when
they need to.”
UNISON’s Tom Connolly who is also staff side
secretary for all the Edinburgh council unions,
said: “The report is riddled with assumptions,
hopes and ambitions but precious little evidence.
We are also worried that it displays a lack of understanding
of some ‘roles’ and how services need
to be delivered.”
“We also concerned that the report leaves
the door open for back-door privatisation and hints
at challenging the council’s no compulsory
redundancy pledge.
“UNISON will engage with the council on its
plans but we will also consult our members on what
they want us to do. Our annual general meeting in
February will decide what we do to resist these
further attacks on our members and Edinburgh’s
services.”
John Stevenson admitted some sympathy for the council
due to central government cuts but called for councillors
to stand up for services:
“We have some sympathy for the council because
it is cuts from Holyrood and Westminster that are
causing the problem. 40,000 jobs have been lost
across Scottish councils. If that had been any other
employer, politicians would have been queuing up
to demand action and a rescue plan. The least that
councillors can do is stand up for services and
not pretend they can go on cutting and cutting.
They should publish a budget that shows what services
could look like if these cuts were not being forced.
“We call again for the Scottish Government
to make emergency funding available to councils
pending the funding review. After all, Holyrood
underspent by £444 million last year while
presiding over cut after cut to local services and
jobs.”