Lobbying Councillors against the Cuts – a Guide for UNISON members

Lambeth Council is a democratic local authority and elected Councillors are accountable to local people for the decisions of the Council – including decisions to cut jobs and services.

One of the most important ways in which we can influence our employer is to organise lobbying of Councillors. However, as Council employees we must be careful not to breach the Council’s Code of Conduct.

Paragraph 11.2.2 of the Code states that; “employees must not seek to involve Members in personal matters which relate to any

aspect of their employment, for example, pay and grading, grievances etc.” and this could cover lobbying individual Members of the Council about particular job cuts.

UNISON members as citizens have the right to lobby Councillors however, and UNISON representatives (including shop stewards) can – with the support and approval of Branch Officers – lobby Councillors on behalf of UNISON.

Most importantly, as trade unionists, we can encourage local people to lobby their Councillors. This document lists all Lambeth’s Councillors and gives details of their regular surgeries where their constituents (people who live in the Ward they represent on the Council) can go and see them about any issue – including to object to cuts in jobs and services being made by the Council.

Local people can also contact Councillors by telephone or email. If you are reading this document on a computer you can click on links from the names of each Councillor to their contact information on the Council Website. Otherwise you can search the website (or phone the switchboard) for contact information. In this online version of the guide the Councillor’s photographs do not appear but if you want to see what a Councillor looks like you can click on the link to their page on the Council website!

Remember – the best people to lobby any Councillor are the people who live in the Ward they represent on the Council and who will have a vote in the next local elections to decide whether or not they stay on the Council.

For more advice or information about lobbying Councillors contact your Branch Secretary, Jon Rogers at j.rogers@unison.co.uk or Ruth Cashman on RCashman@lambeth.gov.uk

Click here to find out who your councilors are LAMBETH COUNCIL