UNISON slams growing toll of council job cuts

Commenting on today’s shocking news that 1,200 workers at Hampshire, 1,000 in Norfolk and up to 400 at East Sussex County Councils, face joining the 2.5 million unemployed, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:“The Government’s cuts are taking a terrible toll on council workers and services. It is a disgrace that 2,600 more council workers are being added to growing dole queues as unemployment hits 2.5m. “The job losses are a bitter blow to families who face inflation hikes, soaring prices and the prospect of their mortgages going through the roof, when interest rates rise. This Government is robbing communities of hope for the future and vital services that people depend on.“In Hampshire, children and adult services look likely to be hardest hit by these huge cuts - how will vulnerable people who rely on these vital services cope with such a strained service? We know that workers there only found out about the job losses through word of mouth. Bosses should have the decency to tell workers the truth.“There are alternatives. The government should come clean on the real impact of their savage cuts agenda.”