PUBLIC service workers from across the country gathered at the Senedd on Tuesday, October 24, to tell politicians that local public services will disappear completely without a serious injection of cash from the Welsh government.
UNISON’s mass lobby came ahead of Welsh Government’s announcement of its draft 2018-19 budget proposals later in the afternoon.
Members of the trade union made the case for fair funding for Wales and for an end to the public sector pay cap.
Just last week, UNISON labelled Welsh government’s local authority budget as ‘wholly inadequate’ which would result in the loss of thousands of jobs and could mean some councils become unsustainable.
Margaret Thomas, UNISON regional secretary said: “Ordinary people across Wales have suffered for far too long as a result of the UK Conservative government’s cuts. The vital local services we all rely on are being sacrificed in the name of austerity and this is hurting our communities. More than 25,000 local government jobs have been lost in Wales in the last six years and pressure has increased on NHS Wales as other public services struggle to keep pace with demand. We need Welsh government to be fighting on behalf of all of us to protect public services.
“Austerity has undermined the living standards of all public service workers and their families and this has taken money away from Welsh high streets. Healthcare workers, council employees, emergency service workers and others, have endured seven years of pay freezes or below-inflation pay awards. We are asking Assembly Members to back a call for an immediate end to the public sector pay cap.”
Ms Thomas continued: “We are very pleased to have had the support of the Cabinet Secretary for health Vaughan Gething, Mike Hedges AM, Hannah Blythyn AM, John Griffiths AM, Jeremy Miles AM, and David Rees AM in signing UNISON’s pledge to end the public sector pay cap now. We know that we have a lot of support from other Assembly Members too for an end to austerity and for fair funding for Wales.
“Today’s lobby of the Senedd is part of a concerted UNISON campaign to keep up the pressure on both the UK and Welsh governments to invest in public services and the public service workforce.
“Attention moves now to our 4 November #SaveOurServices rally in Barry, backyard of Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns MP. He and his Conservative government are not listening to ordinary people. We’ve suffered too long as a result of UK government cuts, our local public services are disappearing and the workforce hasn’t had a pay rise in seven years.
“We hope there’ll be hundreds at our family- friendly Barry event. We have music, poetry and comedy in what will be a loud and colourful demonstration with a serious message.”
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