Eastbourne Trades Council: Greens and Tories attack workers' rights in Brighton

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Greens and Tories attack workers' rights in Brighton

Local staff working for Eastbourne Borough Council and East Sussex County Council are facing attacks on their jobs from Tory/Lib Dem cuts- but now workers in Brighton face a wholesale downgrade of their employment at the hands of a Green council. Eastbourne trade unionists should stand in solidarity.

GMB members employed by Brighton & Hove City Council are facing massive cuts to their take-home pay following Green Party & Conservative plans to alter their terms and conditions.

At a meeting of Brighton’s Policy and Resources Committee on 24th January 2013, Green and Conservative Councillors forced through a measure which authorised Council officers to implement a ‘modernised pay and conditions package’. Labour Councillors voted against the proposals.

Council officers will now enter into negotiations with the recognised unions to seek cuts for allowances under part 3 of the NJC terms and conditions. These include measures such as overtime and shift allowances and could affect up to 75% of the Council’s workforce. In the event that agreement is not reached the Green / Conservative measures authorise officers to take ‘all necessary measures’ to implement the changes and e-mail correspondence from the Green Party’s leader of the Council, Jason Kitkat, confirms that he will not rule out instructing officers to impose the changes by dismissing and re-engaging members of staff on new terms and conditions.

Mark Turner, Branch Secretary GMB Sussex Branch said:

‘These proposals could lead to cuts of up to £4000 per annum for low paid workers. This strategy that the Green and Conservative groups are embarking on is unprecedented in Brighton with the potential of dismissing staff and re-engaging them on revised terms and conditions. This has never been done within Brighton & Hove City Council or its predecessors.

To make matters worse, the leader of the Council has decided to delegate responsibility for delivering these changes to Council officers. This is shirking his responsibility and putting officers in the firing line to deliver his bad news. We would have expected this sort of behaviour some other political parties however the greens are now showing their true colours.’

To show your solidarity with workers in Brighton, you can sign the GMB's petition here.

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Trades Councils in the Community

Your union branch speaks up for your members and potentialmembers in the workplace. Whether it’s pay, rights at work, healthand safety or lifelong learning, your branch exists to get a better dealfor your members.

Unions also need to raise their voice in the world beyond the workplace when:
• the public services delivered and used by union members come under threat
• racists and fascists try to divide local communities
• local authorities seek to reduce democratic control of education or housing.

That’s where your local trades union council comes in. Trades councils bringtogether local union branches to campaign across a community on issuesthat matter to working people.

Facing closure?: Your trades council can provide practical support and solidarity.
Tackling racism? Your trades council can help unite local people against the haters.
Privatisation problems? Your trades council can help campaign for public ownership and democratic control.

Eastbourne Trades Council represents workers in public and private sector employment across the Borough of Eastbourne and the parish of Willingdon and Jevington.