Workers from Caerphilly County Borough Council staged a protest yesterday outside the council’s Ty Penallta headquarters to demonstrate against plans to cut their mileage allowance.
The protest was organised by Unison, Unite, Ucatt and the GMB who described the cut as an “outright and blatant attack” on employees.
Caerphilly Council has to save £28m by 2017 and has proposed cuts of £14.7m for 2014/15 as well as a 3.9% hike in council tax.
The workers were demonstrating over plans to cut their mileage allowance from 55p a mile to 50p a mile. Originally, the council wanted to cut the allowance to 45p.
Gary Enright, Unison’s branch secretary at Caerphilly Council, said: “These proposals are an outright and blatant attack on employees’ terms and conditions of service.
“I believe that this will be the thin end of the wedge and that if we don’t challenge the council at this stage then the floodgates will open for further reductions to our members’ terms and conditions.
“For this employer to even suggest such a reduction in light of the chief officer’s essential user buyout is morally repugnant and is an insult to the workforce.
“We are not prepared to simply roll over and accept these proposals. We will stand firm and challenge the council.”
Labour councillors said they were “disappointed” with the unions’ decision to protest.
Labour council leader Harry Andrews said: “All parties at Caerphilly Council recognise that the Tory-led Westminster government’s swingeing cuts mean we must make savings of £14.5 million in 2014/15. We share our unions’ priority of avoiding compulsory redundancies among our council’s staff, if possible.
“So we’re very disappointed that Unison has chosen to demonstrate against savings proposals when they know there’s further opportunity for consultation before final savings decisions are made.”
Deputy leader Cllr Keith Reynolds added: “Most Welsh authorities pay their staff less than 50p a mile for mileage. And the latest proposal is already an improvement on the 45p a mile originally put forward. We’d welcome alternative ideas from Unison on how to save the £125,000 gained by the mileage rate cut, rather than adding a further increase to council tax rates.
Cllr Reynolds added: “Our council has proudly demonstrated its commitment to our workforce, by funding increases to the Living Wage paid to staff and working hard to avoid compulsory redundancies. It’s time our unions showed a similar spirit of compromise. What we need now is less demonstrations and more negotiations.”
Extra charges and what could be cut in 2014/15
- Increase outdoor facility charges by 20% for three years, bringing in £60,000.
- Review weekend parks cleansing service saving £10,000.
- Charges for replacement new issue waste containers (raising £63,000).
- Closing public toilets saving £24,000.
- Introduction of charges for garden waste collection services (£80,000).
- Introducing £20 charge for dealing with rat infestation.
- Review of off-street parking charges saving £30,000 in 2014/15.
- Review of leisure centre provision – including closures saving £20,000 in 2014/15, £66,000 in 2015/16 and £731,000 in 2016-17.