Lib Dems declare war on voluntary sector

Liverpool:

Lib Dems declare war on voluntary sector

OVER 200 people marched through the centre of Liverpool on 26 January in
protest at the biggest attack on the voluntary sector the city has seen. In
the latest round of grants to advice agencies, community organisations and
locally organised groups, the Liberal Democrat council is proposing massive
cuts of over £1.7 million.

Tony Aitman, UNISON shop steward, Citizens Advice Bureau, personal capacity

The composition of the march reflected the enormous effect this will have
on the people of Liverpool. Represented was Merseyside Welfare Rights, which
deals with over 11,000 queries a year. The grant cuts mean it will have to
close.

Also there were Citizens Advice Bureaux from across the city; part of the
advice network that has brought over £9 million to the poorest sections of
Liverpool. They were forced by the Liberal Democrat council to issue
redundancy notices to staff over the Christmas period. The march was led by a
sheep from the Rice Lane Farm, where many inner-city children have their only
chance get to see farm animals.

The council cuts will have a double blow. Many of the groups affected
receive Lottery or other funding. However, much of this is given on the basis
of there being match funding from the council. With the council grant gone or
slashed, this other funding will be withdrawn, leaving the groups in crisis.

And who will suffer? Apart from the job losses, it is the poorest sections
of Liverpool, who rely on the advice agencies for debt, welfare benefits and
housing advice and representation in courts and at tribunals. The city council
wants to see a business arrangement with the voluntary sector, where their
services are sold. But if people could afford to buy the services of the
voluntary sector, there would be no need for much of it in the first place.
Its job is to plug the gaps in government and council services. The government
spends more on chasing so-called "benefit fraud" than it does on helping
people claim what they are entitled to.

The next step has to be co-ordinated action by all the groups affected,
together with the council employees. Apart from the cuts in grants, the
council is carrying out a campaign of harassment and victimisation against the
social workers who were recently on strike – again, the very people who care
for the poorest and most disadvantaged sections of society.

A campaign must be launched for more government aid to the city, backed up
by a one-day strike of all the voluntary groups and agencies, whether they
have been cut or not, and the council employees. It is vital that a joint
trade union committee be set up, linking the voluntary sector unions with the
council unions, to take the fight forward.

These cuts will have a devastating effect on jobs and services, and the
poorest sections of Liverpool. Given the level of anger and opposition, this
is one fight we can win.