Despite talk of ‘deal dividends’ and ‘Brexit bribes’, there seems to be no end in sight for local government when it comes to austerity. As the Local Government Association (LGA) recently…Read more…
‘Fiddling while Rome burns’
Austerity is forcing nearly every English local authority to raise council tax over the next year, according to a new survey of council bosses. The survey found that 80 per cent of councils believe…Read more…
‘Take an urgent reality check’
Nearly three quarters of council budget cuts over the last 10 years have been in urban areas – with Barnsley being hit the hardest. The figures, revealed in the Centre for Cities annual report, found…Read more…
‘Worst is yet to come’
In a remarkable mutiny against their own party, Tory council chiefs in England have warned the “worst is yet to come” in brutal local authority spending cuts. The predominately Conservative…Read more…
‘Without parallel’
Years of mismanagement and cuts to local authority funding have placed the Tory-run Northamptonshire county council in a near-untenable position as it scrambles to provide services to vulnerable…Read more…
‘Postcode lottery’
The first five years after birth are often considered the most important developmental stage in childhood and can strongly influence a person’s social mobility as an adult. It was under this widely…Read more…
‘Pay pinch’ Grinch demo
Members of Unite working in local government will be joined by the Christmas pay pinch Grinch tomorrow (December 8) to hand in a giant Christmas card to HM Treasury urging the chancellor Philip…Read more…
Empty promises
Unite accused the government of making empty promises over increasing the number of health visitors after shock figures released by the Labour party on Tuesday (October 17) showed a major fall in…Read more…
‘No stone unturned’
Unite has warned that it will leave ‘no stone unturned’ if Doncaster refuse contractor Suez presses ahead with breaking the law during forthcoming strike action. Unite has received evidence…Read more…
Bin dispute win
Unite, today (August 16) said that it has achieved victory in the Birmingham bin dispute which will result in the suspension of the current industrial action. The union said that the city…Read more…
Step up now call
The long-running Birmingham bin dispute could continue until Christmas unless the city council negotiates a fair settlement, Unite warned today (August 11). The union is balloting its refuse…Read more…
‘Swingeing’ cuts
Families with children and babies in Shropshire face swingeing cuts to health visiting services, Unite has warned. Unite said that proposals could see the number of specialist community nurse…Read more…
Lifeline collapse
The shock collapse of the UK’s leading drug and alcohol charity, Lifeline, which was heavily reliant on income from public sector contracts, should set alarm bells ringing, Unite has warned, as it…Read more…
Strike vote over cuts
Refuse collection workers at Birmingham city council have started voting in an industrial action ballot today (May 31) amid accusations of financial mismanagement and an overspend by council bosses…Read more…
Unite says no to nurse cuts
Standing in support of families with babies and young children, the local York community joined Unite members in a demonstration yesterday (March 30) against proposals by the city council to axe…Read more…
Save Bromley libraries
The Bromley public has been asked ‘to rise up and make their voice heard’, otherwise the borough’s 14 libraries will be privatised, with expected severe cutbacks in services. The call to…Read more…
Cashing in on austerity
Council austerity cuts have over the last six years decimated public services and have cost more than half a million jobs, with local authorities in the poorest areas being hit the hardest. …Read more…
Left all alone
More than two thirds of English councils have cut vital care packages for disabled people since the government scrapped the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in favour of paying local authorities…Read more…
‘A big, big victory’
Unite secured a massive victory in its fight against Bromley council’s privatisation agenda, after its campaign forced a main plank of the local authority’s proposals to fall. Bromley has…Read more…
‘Spectre of privatisation’
Unite officials say they are ‘extremely disappointed’ that an un-named council source is raising the spectre of privatisation for Edinburgh City Council’s refuse services. Unite was responding…Read more…