Trade union member at Nottingham City Council, and supporter of Nottingham Save Our Services
Nottingham City Council faces a growing tide of anger from the trade unions and local community. Proposals by the Labour-run authority will cut services and jobs on a scale not previously seen.
Equity, the union for performing arts workers, has joined the campaign, outraged at a proposed total end to spending on culture and the arts. In particular, this threatens their members who work at the Nottingham Playhouse theatre. The Musicians’ Union has stated that funding to the Playhouse would reduce from £433,000 to zero if the proposals go through.
Eviction
There are 44 council-owned properties – 40 are occupied – that are rented out at market rents, as opposed to being social housing. These are being sold to raise money. Shockingly, the occupants have been served with Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notices – a further consequence of the council’s long-term strategy of not fighting cuts.
Writing in the Socialist, a Unison member in Nottingham said: “554 full-time-equivalent (FTE) posts are at risk… three council adult residential homes are threatened, as is the much-loved Jackdawe homecare service for adults with complex and challenging behaviours.
“The library service faces 31 FTE jobs being cut, although the council is likely to think twice about further library closures after a recent magnificent campaign saved three libraries. The welfare rights service is under threat, as is the remaining young people’s centre, and an adventure playground, with many other services at risk.”
Protest
People were set to protest at the council’s Executive Board on 13 February. But councillors were feeling growing pressure at the scale of proposed cuts even before this.
Replies to the public consultation were overwhelmingly opposed to cuts. However, Labour’s council leader David Mellen has said that there are only limited opportunities to influence, citing the role of the chief financial officer and the Improvement and Assurance Board.
However, that’s not our approach. Our two protests, a public meeting of 70 that established Nottingham Save Our Services, and a subsequent campaign organising meeting of 48, shows that people want to fight, and want the council to fight and not pass on the Tory government cuts. A steering committee of nine has been set up for the campaign, with flexibility for more community groups and trade unions to join it.
Further protests will take place, including the day of the council budget meeting – 4 March. Council trade unions have met with a large group of Labour councillors, putting our position to them that they need to publicly fight these cuts.
The council has asked the government for £65 million Exceptional Financial Support, and is still waiting to hear about this. This is not new money from central government, but permission to use money received by the council from the sale of assets, such as property.
Labour councillors must not accept and pass on these cuts, but use any available money, such as reserves, to offset cuts and to mount a political challenge to central government to fully fund services. This should start with councillors voting against the proposed cuts budget on 4 March.
Say now
It is not sufficient for councillors to abstain or not turn up. If they oppose cuts, they must publicly say now – not on budget day – that they are going to vote against a cuts budget.
This will help build the campaign, and give people confidence that a fight will take place inside the council chamber. Councillors must stand with their class, and not with their Labour Party membership cards.
An urgent appeal should be launched by Nottingham Labour councillors to all of those other councils in the same position.
Labour councillors should also call on Angela Rayner – Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – to commit an incoming Labour government to properly fund council services in Nottingham, and to reimburse the council for any borrowing incurred or reserves depleted to offset lack of government funding, and to not make cuts.
Read more: ‘Unison’s role on local government pay and cuts’ and ‘Nottingham council cuts: Fighting section 114’
