Hundreds protest threatened council cuts in Dundee

Jim McFarlane, Dundee City UNISON branch secretary (personal capacity)

SNP-run Dundee City Council are currently consulting over the closure of a number of buildings and services in the East End of the city as they are expected to cut another £16 million in the next financial year.

Those facing closure include Douglas Community Centre & Library, Douglas Sports Centre, Whitfield Library and the Hub Library & Community facilities in the Mid Craigie area.

This is being presented by the council as combining community and sports services on a new School Campus being built as part of closing two current secondary schools, Braeview and Craigie High Schools. At the same time the council are also considering the closure of a primary and nursery school in the Douglas area.

A public meeting organised by the local community in the Douglas Community Centre saw around 150 local residents of all ages attend to voice their opposition to the loss of their services. The community centre and library is based in the centre of the community and is well used by all ages. The new school campus is not accessible for many to use in the same way. There is a clear determination to fight the closures. 

The local community are organising to encourage as many residents as possible to take part in the formal consultation process though there is little belief that that in itself will be enough to stop the cuts and closures.

The campaign group set up is also planning to hold a demonstration outside the council chambers when they come to consider the conclusions of the consultation. 

Young people at the public meeting angrily reported that there has been no attempt to even consult with them about the youth services they currently access being closed or moved elsewhere.

Taking up the demand of no cuts, no to divide and rule across working class communities and for genuine investment in existing and new facilities is what is needed.

That means councillors refusing to make cuts by using their existing powers on borrowing, use of reserves and other financial mechanisms to set a needs budget for the city.

A needs budget would not only mean no cuts but it would also allow for investment to begin to reverse more than a decade of austerity. To achieve that would mean building a mass movement, uniting with affected communities and unions to demand from Holyrood and Westminster the funding to end all cuts.

That requires councillors, MSPs and MPs to fight austerity not implement it. Those elected representatives who are genuine about standing up for their constituents need to rise to the challenge in action not words.

If they are not prepared to do that then trade unionists and socialists will challenge them in the communities, workplaces and the ballot box when needed.

That’s why the Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition stood in the recent Strathmartine by election in Dundee – to offer that alternative. And why we stood myself as our candidate in Dundee at the recent general election.

It’s high time we had a party to fight for the working class. And the trade union movement should turn its urgent attention to that task.

Labour and SNP politicians have failed the working class. We need a new mass working class party fighting on socialist policies to be built.