With so many staff leaving the Council it is clear that a tremendous strain is being put on some teams and individuals. Lambeth UNISON has had reports from many of our members with examples of being made to work through their lunch breaks, work unpaid over time, and carry out tasks that are not in their pay grade.

The UNISON branch committee agreed to launch a campaign of awareness raising—Just Say No! — to help members stand up for their rights at work.

Jon Rogers, joint branch secretary outlined the importance of the campaign “If we don’t stand up for ourselves as Council workers no one else will do so for us – no one should be pushed to work excessive hours or take on responsibilities they aren’t being paid for.”

UNISON is opposed to the cuts that are tearing through local government. The cuts are ideological, based on the Conservatives desire to shrink the state sector which is impacting on not only council funding but also the NHS and education provision.

Our councillors aren’t fighting these cuts, they are implementing them—although they claim to be protecting services for the most vulnerable that does not explain job cuts to Children’s Social Care that are currently being proposed.

We do not think that the council workforce should be made to bear the brunt of these cuts. That is why we have to stand up for ourselves to say:

• No to unpaid overtime
• No to working outside our pay grades
• No to missing our lunch breaks

If you have any concerns about how your work life is being affected by the redundancies or general over work at Lambeth Council please call us 020 7926 2858