Mark Evans, Swansea and District Trades Union Council president and Socialist Party
Swansea Trades Council took up the offer by Swansea Labour council leader, Rob Stewart, to come to one of our meetings to explain why the council is proposing further cuts and increased charges. I thanked Rob Stewart for attending, and wondered whether he should change his name to Daniel, because he had come to the lion’s den.
Unfortunately, the council leader only attended for 30 minutes, only allowing for five contributions from the floor, after he had spoken.
‘Extra money’?
The Welsh Labour government has talked up the ‘extra money’ promised by Keir Starmer’s Labour in Westminster. However, as Rob Stewart indicated, the increased funding was only 50% of what the council needed to maintain services. Therefore, the council was consulting the public and trade unions about where to make cuts.
Rob Stewart said that the council was prioritising statutory services, with schools and education getting a third of funding, social care a third, and a third left for all other services. But, he claimed, they were avoiding compulsory redundancies.
It was pointed out, by implementing cuts and freezing vacancies, the council was putting the burden on staff, forcing them to work harder to keep services functioning, with the inevitable cost to employees’ mental and physical health.
Rob Stewart claimed that the council was putting extra funding into some statutory services, such as social care getting a 22% increase. But speakers responded by saying that the so-called increase did not meet demand.
It’s only going to get worse
A few speakers pointed out that the budget settlement for the council, and others in Wales, in following years was likely to be a lot worse. And the council was urged to fight the cuts. All councils are travelling on the road to declaring technical bankruptcy, with some already issuing Section 114 notices.
Rob Stewart said that Swansea and other councils had lobbied the Welsh Labour government for extra funding. But he was urged to join with the trade unions and the public in defending council services by implementing a needs-led, no-cuts budget. To use reserves and borrowing to maintain and improve council services, rather than implementing £18 million cuts. This would give the council some breathing space to build a mass campaign, calling on other councils to support.
Rob Stewart said he agreed with all the points made, but could not agree to this. He said it was illegal, without providing any evidence. There is none!
He said that the Welsh Labour government would send in commissioners to run Swansea Council if it attempted to implement an anti-cuts budget. But imagine the uproar if that happened. We would not accept it.
We will fight for funding
Swansea Trades Council, under the influence of Socialist Party members, has a proud record of supporting trade unionists in struggle and opposing council cuts. We will lobby the council, calling on them to demand and campaign for full funding, rather than implementing Westminster Labour austerity, passed on by Welsh Labour government.
