Fighting the cuts in West Dunbartonshire

Following the example set by Glasgow City Unison branch to launch a trade union and community groups fight back against cuts in jobs and services in the city, UNISON, GMB, UNITE, EIS, both Clydebank and Dumbarton TUC and local community groups have joined the fight in West Dunbartonshire. 

By a West Dunbartonshire worker

A series of public meetings have been organised to develop a campaign against the £2.6 million budget cuts made by West Dunbartonshire Council. It is believed that compulsory redundancies for staff, ongoing savage cuts and privatisation of services are a very real threat.  Even before these cuts many services are threadbare while staff are continually expected to take on extra work without the required resources. With a £24million cut over the following two years the Council has made clear that this is just the beginning of “budget savings” which will be ongoing for years to come.

The message that they will be taking to trade union members and the community, and hammering home to politicians is that if trillions of pounds can be found to finance illegal wars, nuclear weapons and parasitical bankers then a fraction of that can be found to give people decent jobs and services in West Dunbartonshire and every other area of the country.

Stalls have been set up in local areas and a petition organized. This petition can also be accessed on line at www.gopetition.com/online/34057.html

The public meetings are as follows:

A steering group will be formed made up of representatives from the trade unions and the community to develop a strategy and jointly campaign for adequate funding for local government services.