Union fights to protect services

Adrian Kennett, lead negotiator for Unison at Hull Council, said they would campaign for some form of industrial action if supported by members at three annual general meetings being held next month.

A mass meeting attended by hundreds of staff this week unanimously agreed that proposals to restructure the city’s children’s and young people’s services were unsafe.

The council, which is trying to save £65m, is looking to cut 600 jobs in the service. The council’s own assessment states that cutbacks carry “a high level of risk for the early identification and the delivery of support to vulnerable children and their families.”

Mr Kennett said: “These cuts will lead to higher workloads for professionals already struggling to cope with the volume of work.

“The Lib Dem council and senior management have to understand that they cannot ignore their own legal responsibilities, our members will not agree to unworkable structures that leave everyone in danger. We will not stand by and allow our members to be bullied or pressured into working beyond their contracted hours.

“In the Victoria Climbie case just over 11 years ago, tragically a vulnerable young child died a horrific death.

“In the subsequent inquiry they described the social work team as ‘suffering from a bombardment and a burn-out, with caseload guidelines routinely breached’.

“We have real fears that if these cuts go through, Hull could see its very own Victoria Climbie situation,” said Mr Kennett.