Union veteran backs Workers’ Day rally against council cuts

International Workers Day will be marked on Bank Holiday Monday by a family fun day at Unison’s headquarters in Hull, including a speech by Rodney Bickerstaffe, one of the best known figures in the Labour movement.

He retired as general secretary of Unison, the UK’s biggest public sector union, in February 2001 and now chairs the Global Network that works with organisations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He is also president of War on Want.

The event comes as part of the final countdown to next Thursday’s elections – a nerve-racking day for the city’s ruling Liberal Democrats. Labour has to take seven seats from the Liberal Democrats for a majority.

Unison says about 1,000 jobs have gone as part of a voluntary early termination scheme which began last year. The council says the total – including those who went last December – is 785, although a further round of redundancies is still to come.

Adrian Kennett, from Unison, said invitations to the event at 39 Alfred Gelder Street, had gone out to staff who lost their jobs at the advice service Connexions, as well as children’s centres, where over 100 staff are facing the axe.

Mr Kennett said senior managers at the council had advised staff taking voluntary redundancy from the safeguarding adults service to sign on with employment agencies – as there could be work coming up in the departments they have left.

He said: “There’s an alternative budget being put forward by Labour, which prevents compulsory redundancy and Labour has said they will start investing back into key services, in disability and children and young peoples services.

“We personally believe that’s got to be the better option than the current administration, which seems to be slash and burn and outsource and privatise. There’s already gaps appearing all over.

“We will be starting at 10am and kids will be making their own banners. We have face-painters, a magician and a big sound system.

“We will be marching round the town from 12, and then will come back and have a bit of a party.

He added: “On Saturday on Bransholme we got over 100 names on a petition in an hour. The feedback we are getting from the public is that they are very concerned about cuts.”

However council leader Carl Minns insisted cuts weren’t an “overriding theme” on the doorstep in what he admitted would be a very close election.

He said: “What’s really fascinating about this election is that there isn’t one major issue.

“It seems to be a very localised election; the issue that seems to be at the forefont of peoples’ minds is who do they want to be their local councillor, who is going to work hard for them in their community.

“Clearly people are speaking about cuts as they are about the Coalition, but it’s not coming up on every doorstep.”

Hull Council said decisions were still being made about who would leave under the next round of redundancies.

A spokeswoman added: “In some cases, we have not been able to support requests to leave because staff are in key posts which will remain, and where we are unable to replace them with other suitably qualified workers – the majority of these relate to people involved in safeguarding children or vulnerable people.

“Many of these staff have worked for the council for many years, and we are grateful to all of them for their commitment and support to the people of Hull.

“Whilst it is unfortunate to have to make such changes, we appreciate being able to avoid many potential compulsory redundancies as a result of these decisions.”

Rodney Bickerstaffe was president of National Pensioners Convention until 2005, before stepping down to concentrate on his international commitments.

The 66-year-old was educated at Doncaster Grammar School.