The policies and resources
committee of 24th January has proposed a review of allowances
received by Brighton and Hove staff. These allowances frequently make
up large parts of staff incomes; the Argus
reports that £4,000 of a binman’s £17,000 annual salary is made
up of these payments, according to the GMB trade union. There is the possibility of
an unequal impact on women, resulting in equal pay claims.
The motivation behind this report is to
reduce costs. The next round of cuts is expected to reach £25m, and will go to the vote on 28th February, Hove Town Hall, 4:30pm. If the vote tomorrow is successful the details of implementation will be handed over to council officers,
who aim to introduce a new scheme by October. The report says the new
scheme could be unilaterally imposed if there is not agreement with
trade unions. It naively states: “...there is a
risk that the trade unions may feel unable to agree any proposals
that result in any of their members losing pay without
substantial recompense.”
All councils are
facing significant cuts from the coalition government.
Councillors can oppose these cuts, however since the Greens have
taken over the council they have taken no such steps. In Southampton
two Labour councilors decided they could no longer stomach
passing on the government's attacks and voted against the cuts. They
have since used their influence to build local campaigns across
Southampton, and are building the idea of Southampton fighting
for a needs budget.
A wave of anti-cuts feeling brought
the Greens to power in Brighton and Hove in 2010: why can't the
Green councilors take the Southampton road and
stand up for the people who elected them? The Greens have to
encourage - not resist – a fight for the funding that is currently
being cut from the city.
We call on the Green party to call and
properly build for a demonstration on the weekend before budget day that demands the government returns the funding
they have cut from the city.
