Jobs and services, not cuts and excuses!

DOZENS OF angry care workers lobbied Bolton council against a savage cuts programme at a full council meeting on 21 February.

Two years ago, council chief officers got 19% pay rises which cost Ł500,000 every year!

Combined with central government funding cuts, the council say they have no money for care services.

Up to 160 compulsory redundancies are on the cards, while bosses slash pay and conditions and prepare to privatise the services. Meanwhile there's no shortage of money for the council's pet projects tarting up the town centre.

As one placard pointed out: "What do Bolton people want: elephants and railings or properly funded services? Stop the cuts!"

To explain the dispute, Martin Challender from Bolton UNISON Metro branch spoke to the socialist:

"Bolton council are making more than Ł10 million-worth of cuts. These affect hundreds of care workers for supported living schemes for people with mental health disabilities, elderly people and looked-after children.

"The leader of the council Cliff Morris claims there'll be no impact on front-line services but I don't know anyone working for the council who believes that.

"Staff are very angry because of the potential for compulsory redundancies and some are threatened with reductions in pay and conditions, such as scrapping sleep-over pay and enhancements for over-time."

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In The Socialist 1 March 2007:

NHS crisis: clean out the profiteers