This motion was passed at our December branch committee meeting

Fight the Cuts; building the new anti-cuts movement in Lambeth

Lambeth Trade Unions have known for some time that the council faces serious budget deficits that will have to be made up by financial ‘savings’.

The councils CEO announced 02/12/24 that the Lambeth will have to make up to £50 Million savings in their short to mid- term financial strategy and has published information as to where the main savings (cuts) are to be made. The CEO’s message said the saving budgets would impact on jobs.

(see Unison assistant branch secretaries’ initial analysis of budget information, full email 05/12/24 ) – bullet pointed area’s identified in council proposals below:

• Develop a single, integrated Adult day centre offer by bringing together existing provision, whilst  ensuring it meets the needs of all client  groups. £800,000 cuts
• Consolidation and reduction to a number of  small budgets relating to mental health  promotion, healthy eating, workplace health and physical activity £80,000
• explore options for amending, changing, or altering the weight management service  contract while ensuring residents are still able  to access the service they need.  £120,000 cuts
• Consult on proposals to reduce the number of  linked and core children’s centres as part of  service redesign – £110,000  cuts
• Review budget for Youth & Play/ Early  Intervention and Prevention youth and play  Services (EIPS)  £122,000 cuts
• Full review of contract for Revenue, Benefits and Customer Services?  £2.5 million
• Reduce FM costs through scale efficiencies and make efficient use of office space £500,000

• There are also two lines on “Automation” which both together save £300,000
• Lines 26 and 49 – QUESTION Automate what processes? What it the impact on staff?

• The main cost savings are £5.6 million for a Dedicated move-on team supporting clients into stable accommodation, £3.4 million from Prevention of homelessness through referrals to the tenancy sustainment team to prevent breakdown of tenancies, another £3.2 million on prevention officers trying to stop evictions.

This branch notes that since that information was published the council’s cabinet committee 09/12/24 voted to accept the Labour Councils proposed budget.

We note that there was no significant Union or community campaign presence at the cabinet meeting to visibly express any opposition to the cuts budget that was passed.

A full Council meeting on the 22 January (7.00 PM) will also vote on the budget proposals.

A basic analysis of the budget clearly shows that housing and yet again children’s services (namely children’s centres’) will bear the brunt of these attacks.

This branch committee:

• See these budget cuts as attacks on working class communities that will further impoverish the lives of children, families and workers in the borough.
• State our opposition to these budget cuts and our intent to oppose them.
• Note the marvellous role this Unison branch played in the ‘Save Children’s Centres’ campaign of 2019 where Unison and the Community forced the Labour Council to make major concessions to their budget driven attempts to decrease the Children’s Centre’s Service.
• Resolves to organise and co-ordinate a major anti-cuts protest and lobby of the full Council meeting of the 22^nd January.
• Resolve to reach out to all council unions and community groups affected by the cuts proposals to call for support for the lobby
• Resolve to create publicity for the lobby, leaflets/posters/e-bulletins etc.  and publicise the event to our members and the community including, workplace leafleting, shop and directorate meetings, street stalls, press releases and appropriate use of social media.
• Resolve to convene a special branch committee meeting just to discuss the implications of the cuts proposals and how to fight them.
• Convene a working group to help organise the lobby on the 22^nd January (while recognising that once resolved building for an anti – cuts lobby of the council is the responsibility of all branch committee members).
• Resolve to have a serious discussion on launching a borough wide anti-cuts campaign like the very effective ‘Save Our Services’ campaign the branch initiated after the 2010 election of the Con-Dem coalition government that embarked upon a programme of “endless austerity” for the working classes and public services.

Proposed:

Andy Tullis – Convenor Children’s Services