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Mass protest over cuts programme
More than 250 jobs to go in Town Hall tax freeze
THE Town Hall has been warned it faces a fight to drive through one of the biggest cuts programmes Camden has ever seen.
Liberal Democrats and Conservatives will face the full brunt of opposition to their controversial budget plans at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday night.
They have been accused of “declaring war” on their own services and staff by announcing plans to make deep cuts.
Community groups on the sharp end of the cuts will join protests by unions and angry opposition councillors at next week’s crunch budget discussions.
The council is ready to cut at least 260 jobs and scythe back services such as recycling collections on council estates and after school play facilities.
The proposed budget is part of the Town Hall’s bid to freeze next year’s council tax – a cornerstone manifesto pledge – under its ‘Better and Cheaper’ overhaul.
Lib Dem treasurer Councillor Janet Grauberg said: “We recognise what a burden council tax can be. It is the public’s money and we don’t want to take a penny more than we have to.”
David Eggmore, branch secretary of Unison, the best represented union at the Town Hall, said: “The whole Better and Cheaper approach is a disguise for an ideologically driven attack on services to some of the most vulnerable and poorest residents in the borough.”
While the Town Hall has circulated the figure of 260 for job losses, Unison believes almost 350 could go – particularly in the housing department.
The savings drive comes in after consultants KPMG were brought in to advise Camden on how to be more efficient.
KPMG said the Town Hall should take on a “Diet Plan” by cutting management layers and using less agency staff.
The consultants also found that Camden’s wage bill has, in general, risen sharply over the last five years. But their advice has not been welcomed in all quarters at the Town Hall.
Mr Eggmore said: “Camden Council is declaring war on its own services and the staff who deliver them. All this is happening at a time when the council is wasting enormous sums on consultants and spending an estimated £6 million on fees to staffing agencies. The whole programme of cuts is completely unnecessary and we will be resisting it.”
Mr Eggmore’s comments are the strongest warning from the union since the Lib Dem/Conservative alliance began scouring the council for savings and come after a series of internal meetings have failed to reassure workers.
Labour councillors said the cuts were being ordered despite financial help from the government – Camden has one of the biggest funding settlements in London.
Labour leader Councillor Anna Stewart said: “I think people will feel very let down by this. They are cutting back on staff and services that will affect the most vulnerable people in Camden.”
The partnership administration has already been criticised for suggesting that voluntary groups could see their grants cut back. Those savings have now been revealed to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Conservative deputy leader Councillor Andrew Marshall said: “If you look at this all in context, you see over the last five years Camden has increased the money it spends on staff.”
Council chiefs are also pointing to the fact that their overall spend on services is larger than previous years.
n SIGNS of strain at the Town Hall began to show at a council tenants’ meeting on Monday when residents leaders fought back against plans to change the way the Town Hall consults with them.
Alan Walter, who lives in Kentish Town, led tenants out of the meeting after they were told it was for information and not an open discussion.
He said: “Opposing these cuts won’t be easy but we’ve done it before. We’ve only got council housing and other public services in Camden because we’ve organised successfully to defend them.
“In the mid 1980s council meetings were held in the 800 capacity Camden Centre because so many people turned up.”
A website messageboard for people to offer support has been set-up at www.notcutsincamden.org.uk.
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