Demonstration in Southampton by Unite and Unison against Tory attacks on terms and conditions and cuts in public services. Around 1000 workers took part, photo David Smith

Demonstration in Southampton by Unite and Unison against Tory attacks on terms and conditions and cuts in public services. Around 1000 workers took part, photo David Smith   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

ON 19 January, Hampshire County Council (HCC) announced that they were going to sack 1,200 workers. This announcement was released to the media before the Unison trade union was informed of the full scale of the job cuts.

Tim Cutter, deputy branch secretary, Hampshire Unison (personal capacity)

These attacks come on top of plans by the council to cut enhancement payments for care workers and mobile library workers who work weekends. This is an attack that Hampshire Unison is already planning to ballot for industrial action over and we now need to link this to the nationwide struggle to defend jobs.

Demonstration in Southampton by Unite and Unison against Tory attacks on terms and conditions and cuts in public services. Around 1000 workers took part, photo David Smith

Demonstration in Southampton by Unite and Unison against Tory attacks on terms and conditions and cuts in public services. Around 1000 workers took part, photo David Smith   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

HCC have £130 million in reserves and paid the chief executive over £250,000 last year in salary and bonuses. Who says they cannot afford to plug the gap in funding from central government?

HCC say they need to make £55 million in cuts over the next four years but they intend to push them through over the next two years. These upfront cuts are no doubt being made with the next general election in mind.

Members are already determined to fight against the pay cuts and now will be just as angry and determined to fight against the job losses.

Hampshire Unison has already produced a petition and started a campaign to link up with members of the public and service users in order to organise a campaign of resistance. We have also got plans for linking up with other trade unions in the area in order to form a united fightback against the cuts.