Over the last 14 years Conservative cuts to public services have left local authorities scrambling to balance their budget. Labour’s current inaction looks no better. Currently all they’re offering are sticking plasters and no real solutions. With a growing number of Councillors, the Green Party has the opportunity to mount a coordinated challenge to the continued cuts to our local services.
The Green Party Trade Union Group believes that Trade Unions are a key ally in tackling this for three reasons:
- Trade unions represent the interest of council workers with over 1.5 million workers employed directly by Councils. Including outsourced workers this number rises significantly.
- Trade unions give a voice to ordinary people. Their voices are often overlooked but they’re dealing with the impact of public service cuts.
- Trade unions have strong presences and can be used to support and amplify political campaigns.
Councillors and trade unions working together have an opportunity to communicate the scale and causes of the current crisis. Together we can force the Government to act.
Our briefing aims to guide Green Councillors through working with trade unions and offers practical steps towards a coherent political response to the current crisis.