Union day of action to oppose budget cuts (From This Is Lancashire)

Union day of action to oppose budget cuts

10:20am Sunday 12th August 2012 in News

UNIONS will take part in a day of protests against proposed Bolton Council cuts.

Members of Bolton’s Unison and GMB branches will demonstrate at Bolton Town Hall on September 3, at 2.30pm.

Some will also attend a borough’s ruling cabinet in protest of planned budget cuts, which they say could lead redundancies .

Union chiefs say the cabinet will be seeking to approve cuts of £34 million over the next two years and are calling on members to attend in their own time, booking time off work if necessary, and also to bring family and friends.

Sean Warren, convenor for Bolton GMB, said: “We know about the cuts but that’s when they’ll decide where the hammer’s falling and we’re concerned about the effect on services and jobs .

“If we can get 100 people there I’ll be happy. “We’re in a world that we’ve never been in before.

“Many people have already taken voluntary redundancies but we could be seeing compulsory redundancies in the next two years.

“It leaves less people doing more work and that effects the services we deliver.”

Matt Kilsby, chairman of Bolton Unison added: “Every job in the council and every service area will be at risk.

“Most that could have gone by early retirement or voluntary redundancy have already gone, that’s the fear and that’s why we’ve called the lobby.”

Bolton Council is being forced to make £34 million of savings between 2013 and 2015 due to cuts in Government funding.

A council spokeswoman said: “Due to the global recession and the Government’s plans to reduce public expenditure, the council must continue to make savings over the next four years.”

“These savings are likely to result in both a reduction of services the council is able to provide for local residents and also a reduction in the number of staff working for the organisation.

“We will be consulting with and communicating regularly with all staff, unions, customers, residents and partner organisations to manage the impact of these reductions fairly.”