As the council’s deadline of July 11 approaches, when workers who fail to accept pay cuts will be sacked, and following on from our coverage of UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentice’s speech in the city, we spoke to Jeremy Moulton, Deputy Leader of the Conservative-led council, to find out why he believes pay cuts and dismissals are necessary.
The dispute between workers and the council is intensifying. Both sides are accusing the other of intransigence over failing to participate in meaningful talks, and saying they want a negotiated settlement. In the latest twist there’s even confusion about a meeting between unions and council thought to have been arranged for Wednesday (July 6), but which apparently didn’t take place because it “hadn’t been confirmed”.
The unions have now announced that port health officers will join the strike from July 11, potentially bringing one of the busiest ports in the UK to a standstill, and losing the city an estimated £1 million for every day it sits idle. According to The Echo, the port says the action will cause delays but won’t be catastrophic.
On July 11, the council will sack workers who fail to accept pay cuts.
The unions say that there is no need to force people onto lower wages, and that if the council lifts the July 11 deadline they will immediately suspend all strike action.
The council says it has to save £65 million to stand still, due to a cut of a quarter from government and other financial pressures, and that it only introduced dismissal notices in April after six months of “failing to get anywhere close to an agreement with the union – despite the fact that the council had moved its position time after time.”
We spoke to Jeremy Moulton, Deputy Leader of Conservative-led Southampton City Council, to find out why his party believes pay cuts and dismissals are necessary. Use the player below to hear what he had to say.
Speaking about the unions’ announcement that the six-week strike is to spread to include port workers, as well as waste and recycling, street cleansing, library, bridge, parking, social care and vehicle workers, Ian Woodland, Unite regional officer, said that Royston Smith and Jeremy Moulton should “wake up now to how serious this city's council employees are about getting justice”.
“There is absolutely no need for this city to force people onto lower wages,” he said. “They know full well there is a better way forward and it ought to have dawned on them that the people of this city do not believe their dire propaganda about Southampton's finances.”
- On Wednesday July 13 council workers will march in Southampton City Centre to a demonstration outside the Civic Centre to coincide with a meeting of Southampton City Council. The demonstration starts at 1pm in East / Andrews Park and will end outside the Civic Centre.