UNISON hits back at plans to create London 'super-council'

UNISON, the union representing over 7,000 employees in the three London Boroughs – Westminster City Council, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea – has hit back at reports that the councils are to forge ahead with plans to merge council services. The go-ahead comes in response to the deep cuts announced by the Government in Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).The CSR will see local government budgets slashed by 26% over the next four years. These cuts will place jobs and services, in particular to the most vulnerable in society, at risk.The union is angry that it learnt about the merger green-light, not from the employers, but from the press. Linda Perks, UNISON Regional Secretary for Greater London, today expressed the union’s concerns for the employees and local people in the three Boroughs, if plans to merge all services under a single Chief Executive become a reality, saying:“The merger plans are bound to mean that services and standards will fall, as decision making becomes even more removed from local people. In addition, any mergers are bound to lead to significant job losses. This will add more London public sector employees to the dole queues and damage the Capitals already fragile economy.“This announcement clearly demonstrates that the Government’s CSR really means Cuts Strangle Recovery! UNISON demands that these three Boroughs stop their political posturing and start to talk to the Trade Unions who represent some very worried employees across West London”.The announcement from the three boroughs, reflects a very clear intention to save up to £100m and to slash the number of employees providing vital public services, but it also says that there will be no reduction in the number of councillors or how democratic accountability will be maintained. Linda Perks, went on to say “Whilst services will be hit and employees will join the dole queues the Councillors will continue to be able to claim their expenses! Their jobs aren’t at risk! Where’s the democracy in that?” Earlier this week UNISON, released detailed analysis showing that on average, there are more than 4 unemployed people for every advertised job vacancy in England, Scotland and Wales. In Westminster the figure is 2.7, in Hammersmith and Fulham 5.3 and in Kensington and Chelsea 10.9.