From a Carmarthenshire Unison member, writing in a personal capacity.
On the 1st April 2014 Carmarthenshire Labour led Council (yes a Labour council!) will remove the trade union secondments for Unison, GMB and Unite. Before this anti –trade union attack, that will be applauded by the Con-Dems and the Taxpayers Alliance, Carmarthenshire County Council was one of the worst in Wales in what it was prepared to pay for in regard to trade union secondments. What the Taxpayers Alliance will not applaud is that this draconian measure will not save money but is likely to cost more. This is clearly a political decision by the Labour led council who are attempting to stifle the trade unions and in particular Unison branch opposition to the vicious cut to services that the council is implementing. Our branch opposes all cuts including the massive increased charges to sporting facilities and we have never been shy of criticising this Labour-led council for meekly implementing Con-Dem cuts.
The cuts to Trade Union Secondments was sold by corporate management as a ‘saving’ but the intention behind is a serious attempt to inhibit the unions from organising opposition to the £30 million cuts and preventing the unions from defending our members and the wider community’ s interests.
We are told by Human Resources that the employer wants to work with the trade unions but this flies in the face of an employer who takes his ball home when Unison in particular opposes their cuts agenda. We submitted a No Cuts Agenda which was ignored by the Council leadership.
We will campaign for the reinstatement and improvement of the Trade Union Secondments and we call on the Labour and trade union movement and the wider community to support our campaign. Unison and the other trade unions are affiliated to New Labour but our members are asking what’s the point in New Labour if they get Con-Dem cuts when they vote Labour. How can a Labour-led council attack the unions instead of fighting and building resistance to the cuts that will devastate communities across Carmarthenshire?
Please follow the link below and sign our petition.
