UNISON Ballots Library Staff
10 May 2010 - For immediate release
UNISON MEMBERS WORKING IN LIBRARIES FOR SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL TO BE BALLOTED FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Anger at threat to jobs by Conservative council replacing full time staff with volunteers
UNISON has today informed Southampton City Council that it will ballot all its library members about strike action over its objection to the Tory Group's plans to replace full time staff with volunteers.
The council has announced that within its 2010/11 budget plan that it intends to replace 6 full time staff with volunteers. As part of the plan, at least one of the city’s libraries will be run totally by volunteers.
Andy Straker, UNISON Regional Organiser said "There is real anger from our members over this issue. They feel that management and Councillors are devaluing their skills and experience. The fact that they believe that they can just take people off the street to do our members' work is an insult. Our members have given years of service to Southampton City Council and to be treated in this way is a disgrace. We believe that the inevitable consequences of these actions will be a worsening in service to the public."
He continued "if the council needs to make savings by cutting wages and employing volunteers then I suggest they start with councillors. According to Southampton City Council Website, Councillors were paid in excess of £690,000 in the year 2008-09. The choice is clear for the people of Southampton; do they want good, skilled and experienced staff running their services or overpaid councillors attacking services like Libraries?".
The industrial action ballot will run from 17 May until 7 June 2010.
UNISON has a national Campaign about valuing public libraries and its own research shows that they are: -
A service under threat
Library staff are under immense pressure from local authority budget constraints that have resulted in libraries being thinly staffed, under-resourced or sometimes closed.
. the service is seen as a “soft target” for cuts by many local authorities who spend only 1% of their budget
on libraries
. since 1997 the total number of professional staff (full time equivalent) employed in public libraries has
fallen by 14%
. the number of library books available to borrow is falling by two million a year, and total stock is now
13 million lower than it was 6 years ago
. in just the past two years more than 80 libraries have closed
What needs to change
Despite the pressures, many libraries are developing innovative and imaginative ways of serving local communities. We need to build on the best practice: adequate resources and funding are needed to maintain book stock, technological advances, improve premises and extend opening hours.
. staff, users and local communities should be fully involved in shaping - including unions, ‘Friends’ groups, and
outreach to new users.
. libraries and councils throughout the UK need to share good practice, encouraging innovative methods within
a publicly accountable framework
. all libraries should ensure they are responsive and welcoming to all members of their local communities,
as the best already do
. staff training should be expanded and professional development encouraged, to support the delivery of a
responsive and high quality service
Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary said "In order for libraries to deliver a professional service, under-funding needs to be addressed to ensure adequate resources. Libraries continue to deliver a high quality service and are valued greatly by the communities they serve. One of the strengths of the service is that it is not a commercial service. It is an integral part of local public services and should remain so. I fully support the Southampton UNISON members in their struggle to stop their jobs being replaced by cheap unskilled labour".
NOTES FOR JOURNALISTS
UNISON is the UK’s largest public sector trade union with approximately 1.3 million members. It represents 850,000 Staff in
local government nationally. UNISON represents Council employees within Portsmouth City, Hampshire County, Fareham Borough,
Gosport Borough, Havant District, Rushmoor Borough, Hart District, Basingstoke & District, Winchester City, Eastleigh Borough, Test
Valley, Southampton City, Isle of Wight, New Forest and East Hampshire Council. UNISON offers advice and representation and
protection at work to our members.