"Low Pay No Way, Council Workers Here To Stay"

FURIOUS HULL council workers halted the Lord Mayor’s parade in a
protest against huge wage cuts.

Rob Rooney, Hull UNISON shop steward (personal capacity)

On 1 July, the Labour-led council imposed its job evaluation scheme on
the workforce. Workers across the board – binmen, social workers, carers,
planners, engineers, bridge operators, solicitors, housing staff – were
shocked and more than a little annoyed to find the job they do, providing
public services, devalued rather than evaluated.

Binmen are being asked to take cuts of £4,000-£8,000. One worker in
the Guildhall is said to be facing a £13,000 cut! Dedicated solicitors,
who choose to work in the public sector, earning a fraction of what they
could earn commercially, stand to lose £6,000.

Of the three unions involved, the GMB and TGWU are balloting on whether
to reject the whole scheme – there is little doubt what the result, due on
15 July, will be. Unfortunately, UNISON appears to be doing little except
advise people to go through the appeals process.

Frustrated at UNISON’s inaction and keen to make a protest, around a
dozen members gathered in Queen Victoria Square on 10 July, waiting for
the city’s first citizen to appear.

On the signal, it was over the barriers and into the road, in front of
Tory John Fareham’s open top Mercedes sports car (Hull only has two Tory
councillors but they’re on first name terms with the others), unfurling
banners and chanting: "Low pay no way, council workers here to
stay."

We were delighted to see Labour councillors, dressed in what looked
like second-hand head teacher robes and three-cornered hats, taken aback.
Deputy council leader, former UNISON official and one of the architects of
Job Evaluation, Daren Hale, gallantly leaped to his Tory friend’s defence,
saying: "Blame me." We do blame you, Daren!

The protest was over in minutes. As the police arrived, we went back
into the crowd, joining those who had hung back. There had been fear and
trepidation beforehand, but it was all smiles afterwards, as we talked
about the confusion on the councillors’ faces.

The battle now is within UNISON, as much as it is with the council. But
the branch leadership, which has strong links with the Labour Party in
Hull, knows it is under pressure.