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Kirklees
11 June 2012
Council admin workers in Kirklees strike against cuts
Admin workers in Kirklees had a successful one day strike on 30 May 2012.
425 mainly women Unison members who are affected by the review of Kirklees council's business support function are taking the brunt of the council's cuts programme by being threatened with redundancy or having cuts in their pay.
Many workers who work alongside the admin staff refused to cross the picket lines and donated money to the hardship funds.
Some women joined the picket lines for the first time, showing their determination to fight and sending a clear message to Kirklees council that they won't accept cuts in pay or redundancies.
Already 200 out of 750 jobs have been shed through deleting vacant posts and voluntary early retirements and now approximately 30 staff have been told their wages will be cut. Staffing levels are now dangerously low, yet the council's attitude is 'you're lucky to have a job', and 'if you don't like the job you're offered why don't you leave!'
This shows pure comtempt from a council who award their executives pay rises and are now creating more directors' jobs - 18 months after they claimed to have downsized the director level!
On 7 June the Unison members met and agreed to step up the action by striking on 12th, 13th and 14th June! The union branch has asked the national union for agreement to ballot the whole branch as many members are affected in just the same way in the ongoing departmental reviews.
Many members who we spoke to said that they want to support the admin workers by striking alongside them.
This may well be the case if the ballot goes ahead. Their fight is our fight! Please send donations and messages of support to: Kirklees Unison branch secretary, West Yorkshire House, New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP
Angie Waller
This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 11 June 2012 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.
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