Lanarkshire United Against the Cuts

Article by Ray Gunnion 30th November 2010

North Lanarkshire Council (NLC), in great haste to force a cuts budget on its citizens, published at the start of September, 2010 a “consultation” document costing £20,000 called “Hard Choices, Big Decisions which outlined £55 million cuts possibly rising to £80 million over four years.

Around 150,000 booklets were printed but considerably less was actually delivered by private couriers to homes. Only 2000 were returned to the Council who have, as yet, not published any breakdown of the responses. The Leader of the Council, Jim McCabe, publicly claimed that he was “hugely encouraged by the public response to our consultation.” This response was about 1.3% of those originally targeted.

Since September the Lanarkshire United Against the Cuts campaign, in conjunction with North Lanarkshire Trades Union Council, have held five public meetings in the North Lanarkshire towns of Motherwell, Wishaw, Airdrie, Coatbridge and Bellshill and in conjunction with these meetings have conducted their own consultation with a “NO CUTS” petition through numerous stalls in each area. Almost 4000 signatures have now been collected as a first instalment which has been handed to the Deputy Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, Mr Jim Smith.

At the press conference held on the same day, Unite and LUAC spokesperson, John Corry said: “Last year NLC had a budget of £908 million, if that is what is required to run services properly then all 72 elected members need to represent their constituents properly by putting on a united front and going to Holyrood and Westminster to reject the cuts.” Hugh Gaffney, NLTUC secretary, said “The council has a responsibility to put forward a budget that meets the community’s needs, not just roll over, play dead and accept it.”

The original N.L.C. Budget Meeting to be held on 25th November was cancelled and has now rescheduled for Thursday 9th December. Arrangements for a mass lobby of this meeting is in preparation involving the public sector unions of Unite, Unison and the E.I.S. along with the P.C.S. and others unions members involved in service provision to our community. They will be joined by community groups and the general public. Before this date there has been another two public meetings scheduled for the communities of Shotts and Viewpark.

The LUAC will continue its campaign to fight for the adoption of a Needs Budget and in doing so will co-ordinate with other campaigns and union activists across Scotland and eventually Britain to pursue this objective. If MSPs and local councillors chose to ignore the campaign and their constituents then elections in 2011 and 2012 may well see them out of office.