On Tuesday 31st July, workers in Birmingham City Council's Home Care service will be taking the first of 14 days of strike action against plans to cut staff hours, following on from redundancies and changes to shift patterns already imposed earlier this year. Below we reproduce the text of a leaflet that Socialist Party members will be taking to the picket lines as part of our support for the strike.
Birmingham City Council are once again attacking their workers. Last year it was the Bin Workers and now they are coming for the Home Care staff!
A further £3m is being cut from the enablement service budget. Part of the proposals is to make all full time staff redundant and offer them contracts for either 23, 21 or 14 hours.
At the same time the Council are spending £12m on consultants to tell them how to merge the service with NHS services in 2019/20, in likely preparation for privatisation of both services.
The 14 days of strike action announced by UNISON is a massive show of strength and determination of the Home Care workers to stand up for their jobs and terms and conditions.
The Socialist Party gives you our full support and solidarity!
The Labour run Council have ignored the huge support and popularity for Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity message and 2017 general election manifesto amongst workers and young people. Instead the Council have continued to do the Tories' dirty work by implementing cuts and attacking workers, bringing the city of Birmingham to its knees. Now that the Councillors feel ‘safe’ for another four years, they feel confident to carry on acting like Tories in all but name.
The Council have approximately £400 million in useable reserves. Labour Councillors could refuse point black to carry out any cuts, whilst working with unions and communities, not against them, to build a campaign for the funds needed to meet the needs of Birmingham.
The Council are shutting 14 nurseries to ‘save’ £160,000 but they spent £6 million on scab labour to try to break the bin strike last year!
£258 million planned cuts over the next 4 years shows no council service is safe. Home Care workers should take inspiration from last years Bin Worker’s victory – when we fight, we can win!
