Trade unions’ meeting on council’s cut to public services

Mendip Trade Union Council held a highly successful meeting about Somerset County Council’s £14million cut in public services, particularly the impact on the lives of the people living in the Mendip area.

Over 60 people came to hear directly from Bob Ashford from Fair Frome and Ian Byworth from Citizens Advice Bureau about how the cuts would predominately harm the less well off and disadvantaged in our communities. Representatives from the trade unions Nigel Behan UNITE and Tim Northover GMB spoke about the direct impact on staff employed in these services and again highlighted that it was the low paid on the minimum wage who would be most affected. “We certainly are not all in this together” was their message. 

The fact that the county council had refused to raise its Council Tax for 6 successive years due to political dogma was highlighted as a major contributing factor to the current crisis, along with reduced funding from central government.

The meeting also discussed what could be done to resist both the cuts themselves and their worst impacts. Organisers said, “We were fortunate to have contributions from Liberal Democrat councillors Adam Boyden and Damon Hooton (Mendip),Tessa Munt (Somerset) and Green Party Councillor John Clarke (Somerset), along with local Frome Labour Party chair, Dave Clark. 

The meeting unanimously adopted the following resolution:

“This meeting condemns the austerity agenda of national government in general and Somerset County Council in particular, which continues to adversely effects the lives of people of Somerset and its environment. We commit ourselves to work together to oppose these cuts and urge: • Both local, district and county councils to take immediate action to protect vital services. • All to lobby their county councillors to rethink this current disastrous strategy • All to write to local papers to expose the impact in your area and who is behind it. • Support other anti-austerity campaigns such as the efforts to establish the People’s Assembly in Frome.”

A closing collection for Fair Frome was made which raised £130.