Cobbett Road Library
The ballot result was:
Action short of strike action - 66 for, 3 against, a 95% vote in favour
Strike action - 51 votes in favour, 14 against, a 78.5% vote in favour
The industrial action is in response to the Conservative controlled City Council's decision to scrap the funding for six librarians this year and six next year, and to replace staff with volunteers. In addition,
Millbrook Library is being closed and the union says Thornhill library is being transferred to volunteers with no trained librarians being involved in its running.
The 'action short of strike action' will involve librarians not working with, or training, new volunteers in the library service.
UNISON will be meeting with library staff later in the week to decide on which day to start the industrial action.
"Southampton librarians have voted by a massive 95% majority to support industrial action," said UNISON Branch Secretary Mike Tucker. "Librarians are not traditionally 'militant' but this vote demonstrates how angry they are over the Council's running down of this crucial public service. We call on the Council to re-think its position and restore full funding to Southampton's first-class library service."
Links
Love your Southampton Libraries on Facebook
Volunteers to replace paid staff - bitternepark.info
Librarians' ballot for strike action- Daily Echo