UNISON has reacted angrily to the announcement that a further 6,000 jobs will be cut at Birmingham City Council over the next four years.
These job cuts come after 7,000 jobs have been lost at the council since 2010 and UNISON believes these further loses will ultimately lead to the closure of services to the people of Birmingham.
UNISON is unclear how the remaining staff are going to be able to continue to run services with staff at the city council already being overworked and understaffed.
Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore said forecasts suggested there would be just 7,000 full-time staff by 2018 – a third of the size the workforce was in 2010.
UNISON West Midlands regional secretary Ravi Subramanian, said: “These job losses will be devastating to the workers losing their jobs. But they will also impact on services to vulnerable people and they will take millions of pounds out of the local economy.
“UNISON is clear that these job losses are as a direct result of this Tory-led government targeting councils in the North and the Midlands with massive cuts to government grants.
“Government cuts means Birmingham has a cut in spending power of over £145 per dwelling, whilst in the Tory-run Buckinghamshire, Windsor, Hampshire and Wokingham they actually have an increase in spending power. How can that be fair?
“Brummies deserve better than these spiteful and politically motivated cuts. And they need to make their views known through the ballot box at the next general election.”
