Letter: Redundancy news is another crushing blow to workforce
The announcement that there is to be a 50 per cent reduction in staff numbers employed by Shropshire Council is another crushing blow to a workforce that has endured so much in recent years and who have borne more than their fair share of vicious Government policies.
Whilst this most recent plan of attack will undoubtedly cause upset, misery and desperately difficult times for individual families, there is a much greater problem to consider. What does this mean for Shropshire?
In particular, what does it mean to the population of our county, many of whom rely so heavily on its local authority to provide much-needed and vital access to both personal and community services.
Services that other – more financially driven and avaricious providers – purport to be able to deliver but in reality don't, and who will just cherry pick the prime assets and leave the rest to their own devices.
Shropshire Council's announcement makes great play that they shall be able to provide the same level of service delivery with half the people to do so. How? Where is the evidence ? What if , and it is a distinct possibility, they have got it wrong? What then? What does Shropshire Council and the services it provides to the population of our county look like if it all fails miserably?
So many questions remain unanswered as to make these proposals a very uncomfortable fit.
This county stands at a crossroads and we should all, employees, constituents and citizens make our views and concerns known to those that we elect to represent us.
Alan James
Branch Secretary
Shropshire UNISON
